Medical schools set to reopen this Friday

By Mariam Namakula

The Ministry of Health in conjunction with that of Education has agreed to reopen medical and health training institutions amid strict restrictions and guidelines.

In a joint statement issued to the District Focus, the ministries noted that all medical and health training institutions will reopen this Friday with only 33 per cent of the entire population allowed into the school premises.

The ministries say this will be managed in a staggered manner starting with the senior classes for each programme.

However, the government did not disclose the dates for interviews and admission of new entrants.

The volition was made in reference to the presidential directive on July 30 during his address where he advised the ministries to work on the necessary modalities to ensure reopening of the medical institutions.

“Schools will conduct proper screening of all students using a check list of identifying risk of infection to Covid-19 upon return,” the statement reads in part. It adds that institutes have to closely collaborate with their training hospital, district Covid-19 task communities and nearby hospitals.

The institutes, according to the ministries, have to develop a mechanism for collaborating also with other stakeholders such as parents / guardians to ensure provision of proper medical and psychosocial support to affected students.

The ministries also noted that they will provide vaccines to all medical schools and health training institutions upon return and that the heads of institutions have to ensure that all students are vaccinated.

Parents are urged to provide sanitizers and non-medical masks to their children.

Currently all learning institutions in Uganda on presidential orders are still closed not until learners above the age of 12 years get fully vaccinated.