ADDIS ABABA – Universities should be essential workforces and play their social responsibilities to curb the transmission of the novel coronavirus and reduce the potential impacts the contingency may present, said universities.
Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, Dr. Ahmed Zeynudin, and COVID-19 Rapid Response Team Leader with Jimma University said that Jimma University, along with the Jimma Zone and City Administration, has set up a Rapid Response Team to increase pandemic preparedness and enhance the health and human resource capacity against COVID-19.
The team has four major working sub teams-quarantine case management sub team, surveillance sub team, communication, prevention, research, innovation and laboratory capacity sub team and operational support.
In line with this, priority was given to provide case management training for health experts.
Once training of trainers is carried out for health professionals on the case, it would be expanded to large pool of experts at zonal and woreda level, he added.
The University has also prepared a quarantine center that can accommodate more than three thousand people to check for signs of coronavirus.
In addition to this, the University along with the city administration and health bureau has taken a part in opening quarantine centers in each of the 31 weredas. And currently, some of the centers have already become operational, he remarked.
Concurrent to disseminating basic information about COVID-19 via various media, the case team provides necessary information and advices in rural areas, and also areas that has a propensity to public gatherings. It has also established body temperature screening centers, checking and hand wash points.
As more priority is given to prevention, the university hospital made policy changes. Apart from interrupting the annual leave of employees, it has suspended patients’ visiting hours.
Likewise, it has made available free call center, 6238, for the public to gather information, get advice, and report COVID-19 cases.
Mentioning that Gondar University has also set up a taskforce, Yidagnu Mandefero, University’s Public and International Relations Director said that the University is working persistently to combat the spread of the coronavirus, mainly focusing on preventive actions.
She noted that the University is distributing necessary preventive equipment for vulnerable employees.
Responding to West Gondar Zone request, the taskforce is also supporting about one hundred South Sudan migrants in Metema Zone with groceries and non-food items.
The University has also set up isolation and quarantine centers in its premises, Maraki Campus for patients and those presenting with mild illness and suspected of COVID-19.
Collaborating with various nongovernmental organizations, the University has established hand washing points and is conducting awareness raising activities on areas that have tendency to large public gatherings.
On the other hand, the taskforce sub-team that is organized by professionals drawn from various fields, such as psychology, sociology, law and other, are mobilizing and educating the public.
The Ethiopian Herald April15/2020
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
