The majority of students from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SOMHS) have been vaccinated.
According to the Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Bradley Copio, although an indefinite number of students are yet to be given, most of the students on campus have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The figures are yet to be tallied but what I know of is the vast majority, meaning more than 90 percent of the fourth and fifth year students taking clinical courses such as medicine and bachelor in surgery, dentistry, imagining science and nursing have been vaccinated.
SRC President Bradley Copio.
Mr Copio said this following a memo issued by the university’s executive dean last month notifying all students at the medical school who have clinical contact requirements at Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) that they must be vaccinated.
According to PMGH Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Paki Molumi, he said several discussions were held with the school executive dean, Vice Chancellor (VC) of the UPNG, Waigani Campus that as far as the hospital is concerned.
He made it clear to them that the university is run under the Medical School Act and their obligation is to deliver the curriculum and look after the welfare of the students and ensure that their students graduate.
For the school of medicine’s curriculum including MBBS for doctors and other sciences and support services as well as the nursing programs run at the school.
The hospital’s core business is to ensure that the safety of the patients as we are governed by the Public Hospital Act.
So, while they have their core business to deliver the medical curriculum which revolves around our patients because the medical students have to come in contact with the patients in the hospital.
It is a practical oriented course which means that they have to come closer to the patients as their is not social distancing.
This is impeaching our core business of patient safety.
Dr Molumi
He said to ensure that these students do not breach the core business; they have a memorandum of agreement in place so that these medical students can use the facility.
For this case, COVID-19 is new and it is a risk for them coming to the hospital without being vaccinated is bringing risk to the already sick patients in the hospital.
The university cannot force their students into the hospital but students must abide by the policies.
Molumi