A medical official disinfects Huynh Thuc Khang High School in Nghe An province’s Vinh city. (Photo: VNS/VNA)HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Heads of manyuniversities in Ho Chi Minh City, especially medical and pharmacy, on March 6 soughtthe People’s Committee’s approval to reopen on March 16 after six weeks ofclosure due to COVID-19 epidemic.
Speaking at a meeting with the city’sauthorities to discuss strengthening of measures to prevent the disease, TranDiep Tuan, Rector of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said his studentshave the required knowledge and skills to control diseases and this is a chancefor them to acquire experience.
They could in fact serve as reserve personnelif the city lacks adequate doctors and nurses in case of a COVID-19 outbreak.
He said the Department of Health shouldinstruct hospitals to take in medicine and pharmacy students now for them toacquire practical experience.
Ngo Minh Xuan, Rector of Pham Ngoc ThachUniversity of Medicine, said his students wanted to contribute to controllingdiseases.
“The existing online courses only teach themtheory. They need practical lessons at hospitals.”
Huynh Thanh Dat, President of the VietnamNational University-HCM City (VNUHCM), which has a School of Medicine,concurred with Xuan and Tuan that students should return to school.
But students of VNUHCM’s member universitiesin other streams should not return yet since many live in dormitories and couldcause an epidemic, he said.
Do Van Dung, Rector of the HCM CityUniversity of Technology and Education, said that weather in HCM City isfavourable for controlling COVID-19. “We should reopen schools on March 16,” hesaid.
Otherwise, universities would have difficultypaying salaries since they are financially autonomous and depend on students’ tuitionfees.
Le Thanh Liem, Standing Vice Chairman of thecity People’s Committee, said the administration was carefully considering whento reopen schools. The city’s leaders would hold another meeting on March 6 tomake a final decision, he said.
“We also want students to return to school,but we have to be careful for the sake of their safety since the COVID-19outbreak is widespread.
“If schools reopen and a single studentcontracts COVID-19, that school will have to close and we need to think abouthow to isolate its students.”
The city Department of Education and Traininghas changed the schedule for second semester tests, delaying them by two weeksto May 18-June 6.
The secondary school graduation examinationwill be postponed by nearly a month from May 26 to June 23./.
VNA
