The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research launched on Sunday the “Stay Ready” initiative to prepare medical students for the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19).
By bringing on board medical students, the ministry is looking to make them the country’s second line of defence, in support to the health sector.
Many medical colleges have started to carry out the initiative, training sub-intern medical students and other final year student volunteers on ways to handle patients infected with the virus.
After supplying students with safety and prevention tools, university professors are providing practical training on the procedures students should follow to isolate suspected cases and how to use ventilators.
The training also includes adhering to prevention methods to curb the virus’ transmission between patients and health care workers inside hospitals. This would include the steps to be followed after testing patients.
Medical students have started volunteering for this initiative, with the practical training they have received contributing to their willingness to participate.
Helwan University, one of the universities to apply the training has highlighted that its students have been trained on how to deal with intensive care unit cases. It added that its students are also being trained with the skills to provide the necessary psychological support to patients.
