Universities now won’t host more isolated patients
Irene Githinji @gitshee
The government has ordered universities being used as isolation centres to liaise with the Ministry of Health (MoH) to stop further admission of Covid-19 patients ahead of the re-opening of the institutions in September.
The institutions have also been told to seek guidance on how to transfer patients to the MoH facilities and forward their reports on the matter to the ministry by June 25.
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Education Cabinet secretary George Magoha said institutions whose facilities are still currently being used for isolation, quarantine or treatment centres are supposed to liaise with MOH to cease any further admissions even as he also directed the institutions to put in place guidelines to mitigate the spread of the virus once the students resume.
In a statement to newsrooms, Magoha told the universities to come up with reopening plans by ensuring provision of the minimum requirements for coronavirus disease prevention.
Fumigate facilities
“Once patients are transferred, you must ensure that the facilities used during treatment are properly fumigated for safe use as per the guidelines from Ministry of Health,” said the CS, in a circular to all Vice Chancellors and Principals of constituent university colleges.
The CS also directed universities to ensure contingency plans are provided for those students who might need assistance to get back to their institution as well as those who might not be able to get back.
The Ministry of Education in collaboration with other government agencies is working on the modalities of reopening all learning institutions.
Modelling projections by MoH on when the peak of infections is anticipated to be between August and September, expectations are that fewer cases will be reported after September.
Among the requirements the vice chancellors and principals are to ensure to mitigate the spread of the disease include clean running water and soap for hand washing as well as sanitisers.
They are to ensure frequent cleaning and sanitising of often touched objects such as door knobs, light switches and stair railings are disinfected.
