Final Year Medical Students Allowed To Resume Classes

By Nsunjo Erica

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has allowed all final year medical students to go back to school to sit for their final exams and help in fighting the COVID-19 virus.

The CS’s decision comes after the Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council has written to the Deans of School of Medicine and Dentistry in August requesting that final years be allowed to sit for their final exams.

Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said that the increasing number of COVID-19 case has made the resumption inevitable following the fact that more frontline medical workers are needed as the current are not enough.

In a letter addressed to Vice-Chancellors across universities, Magoha said that there is an urgent need to train and assess medical students and that this move is aimed at supporting the increased levels of inadequate healthcare personnel.

“Consideration has been given to the request for face-to-face learning and assessment of medical students. This is further informed by a physical inspection of facilities to ascertain the level of preparedness for the resumption of face-to-face learning,” read part of Magoha’s letter dated August 31.

Magoha said the re-opening for finalists will however be granted on condition that the students use the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when moving around at the hospitals.

Magoha added that University leaders must manage any suspected COVID-19 cases affecting their students in their isolation and quarantine facilities awaiting results to avoid any form of spread.

According to CS Magoha, social distancing and other COVID-19 guidelines put in place by the Ministry of Health must be adhered to in order to combat the easy spread of the COVID-19 virus.

CS Magoha warned that failure to adhere to the relevant Ministry of Health guidelines and protocols on COVID-19 by any reopened University shall lead to immediate closure.

According to current stats, 144 more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Kenya as of 31st August, raising the country’s COVID-19 to 34,201. The youngest COVID-19 patient is a 7-year old child while the oldest is 84.

The new cases are from a sample size of 4,260 tested in the last 24 hours. According to the MOH, the country’s cumulative tests now stand at 454,406.