SunstaraTV Bureau: Colleges offering medical studies and other institutions of teaching such as Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy, Public Health and other Paramedical / Allied medical science course in Odisha will be opened as the COVID-19 pandemic is in a downing phase, the Health and Family Welfare Department informed today.
In a letter to the Director Medical Education and Training (DMET), Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare, PK Mohapatra stated that these institutions will open under strict restrictions of following covid norms.
The H&FW Department has laid down the following guidelines for reopening the institutions:
The theory classes are to be continued online;
The Practical/Clinical classes and examination should be taken in small groups with half of the capacity, to ensure social distancing;
The students must submit a written permission from their parents or guardians for the collages;
The Institution shall make provision for proper screening of the student for COVID symptoms while appearing at the practical halls / clinical wards;
It will be mandatory for all students to follow to all the COVID norms – Use of mask in the campus, hand washing, Use of sanitizers, social distancing, avoiding crowded places;
Fully Vaccinated and Unvaccinated/ incomplete vaccinated students should be splitted into different batches for clinical & Practical classes;
The Institution should start a vaccination drive for students and college staffs in coordination with the local health authority;
Unvaccinated students if allowed in the hostel shall be segregated into separate blocks. They will not be allowed to the library. Separate areas must be earmarked in the dining facility for this group;
Examination to be conducted for different batches in succession with adherence to the COVID appropriate behavior and use of more exam halls for theory paper
The college Authority will also ensure regular screening of the Students in hostels for COVID symptoms and facilities for COVID positives , suspected cases for isolation and quarantine
No academic/ social /religious/sports activity will be allowed for the students in campus;
The administrative blocks /office will remain open on all working days as per the government guidelines;
The COVID positive students will not be allowed to sit in the examination but will appear in the next scheduled examinations (Annual/Supplementary), but this dropout will not be reflected in the chance certificates to be issued by the college authority subject to the production of the laboratory proof (Rapid Antigen / RT-PCR positive test report) of infection during the examinations dropped.
