Universities Reopen: KNUST sets up treatment and isolation centre

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has set up a treatment and isolation centre to help respond swiftly to COVID-19 cases.

This is to enhance safety on the campus as the university reopened to final year students on Monday, June 15, in line with the government’s partial lifting of the ban on academic activities in tertiary institutions.

Dr Norris Bekoe, the university’s relations officer, who disclosed this in an interview, said about 1,500 final year students of the university were expected back on campus to complete the second semester.

They included mostly sixth-year clinical students of the School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD), as well as Veterinary Medicine; sixth year Doctor of Pharmacy students and final year students pursuing Midwifery and Medical Diagnostics degree programmes.

He hinted that the authorities had made it mandatory for all students to be screened every morning before attending lectures, adding that they would also be furnished with free nose masks.

Dr Bekoe indicated that the existing arrangements for online teaching and assessment for continuing and final year students as agreed at a recent stakeholders’ meeting was also in force.

This is against the backdrop of the fact that more than 80 percent of assignments and project work which would be used as assessment for the end of second semester examinations had already been completed and submitted for marking.

A statement issued recently by the university and signed by Mrs Margaret Dzisi, Deputy Registrar in-charge of Academic Affairs, relating to the completion of the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year, indicated that all online assignments and assessments should be completed by June 30.

It said students who had difficulty in accessing the online facilities would have the option to relocate to the university’s campus from June 15 to 30.

It noted that the KNUST COVID-19 team would ensure that students who reported on campus are examined on arrival and taken through the safety protocols as approved by the Ministry of Health.