Low turn-up as health training institutions re-open

Low student turnout has been a feature of the reopening of health training institutes.

The pupils were expected to return to school yesterday after spending more than two months at home as a result of the government’s decision to impose a 42-day lockdown in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases around the country, particularly in schools.

Few pupils showed up when the first set of education establishments reopened. When Uganda Radio Network visited a number of health-education institutes, it discovered that only about a quarter of the students had returned.

By late afternoon, instructional institutions in Kampala, including as Kibuli and St Micheal Lubaga Hospital Training Schools, had not received a single student. 183 kids are anticipated to report to Kibuli. By 3:30 p.m., however, no one had arrived.

Fatumah Nakigudde, a Kibuli instructor, says the lack of students today was surprising given that the kids only have three weeks until their final exams. “We expected them to return as soon as possible because they have a lot of ground to cover in this short three-week timeframe, but no one has shown up. “The students had completed all of the scheduled clinical trials, but there were still some theoretical topics to cover,” she explained.

Medical students also showed up in small numbers at Makerere University. The clinical year has about 600 students, according to Ignatius Asasira, president of medical students at Makerere College of Health Sciences, but just about 100 have reported so far.

By 12:00 p.m., the Soroti School of Comprehensive Nursing had only five students. More than 200 students are expected at the institution.

The five students were given the task of cleaning their dormitories, which had been occupied by COVID-19 patients from the Soroti Regional Referral Hospital. Helen Grace Aguti, the Principal, was in her office but declined to meet with our reporter, stating that she was working on a handover report.

The situation at Virika Nursing School in Fort Portal was the same. The absence of students was attributed to the upcoming weekend by the institution’s principal, Sister Agnes Nansamba. The turnout at Kalungi Nursing School in Kalungu was likewise dismal, with only roughly 40 students showing up out of the 104 pupils expected by press time.

Dr. Kizza Kagolo, the director of Kalungi Nursing School, adds that they have put in place the standards for students to complete sops as soon as the semester begins.

The situation was similar at Rakai Community Nursing School, where roughly 30 students had arrived by Friday evening. Rakai nursing school tutor Julius Mujumbi says they are still waiting for students. He does say, though, that they expect more kids to show up on Sunday.

Although students have yet to report as planned, Mbale School of Nursing and Midwifery Principal Mathew Okuda Okello says the school management and staff are using this time to verify that all needs, including equipment that will assist them implement SOPs, are in place.

Depending on their school academic calendar, some students will return to clinical trials while others will return to theoretical lectures. However, when some time has passed, the majority of them will be required to take their final exams.