Almost 90% of students returned to campuses as government medical colleges reopened across the State on Monday.
Director of Medical Education R. Narayana Babu, who visited the Government Kilpauk Medical College and the Government Omandurar Medical College, said nearly 90% of students attended the first day of classes, while the remaining 10% were on the way.
The Directorate had earlier issued guidelines to institutions to disinfect classrooms, libraries, laboratories, hostel mess, hostel, college and hospital premises, provide handwashing stations wherever necessary, take up daily thermal screening of students on the college and hostel premises and provide face masks to them.
While students were told to submit a report of RT-PCR test taken not more than 48 hours prior to joining, colleges in Chennai made arrangements for those who did not get tested prior to arrival.
E. Theranirajan, Dean of Madras Medical College, said hostel students were advised to stay quarantined for 14 days before joining physical classes.
Similarly, R. Jayanthi, Dean of Government Omandurar Medical College, said hostel students coming from remote areas or areas where there was high infectivity, were asked to quarantine themselves for two to three days.
A. Jamila, Vice-Principal of the Government Stanley Medical College, said students were asked to produce negative RT-PCR test reports and vaccination certificates.
Small batches
“Instructions were given to organise classes in small batches of 25 to 30 students. Apart from individual lecture halls, the seminar hall can be used if a class should have more students. The seminar hall has a capacity of 400, and physical distancing can be maintained well,” she said.
At MMC, almost 100% of students had received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Theranirajan added. A sick room was set up on the college campus and a nurse was posted. “We have readied a crash cart, bed and oxygen support as a first aid measure for students,” he said.
“We had issued a circular to the students based on guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission and Tamil Nadu Health Department. About 98% of them were vaccinated. We had set up COVID-19 desks to provide on the spot testing,” Dr. Jayanthi said.
She said that a batch of 100 students was split into three, and classes and timings were staggered. “We are trying to accommodate one student in a room in the hostel, and two in bigger rooms. We have no group dinings and have arranged for takeaways,” she added.
She said facilities for safe disposal of masks were made available on all floors.
