The alarming cases of CoVid-19 only made West Visayas State University more motivated in consistently becoming agents of change and helping out communities in need. Thus, winning the support of the Iloilo City mayor himself.
Mayor Treñas met online with the WVSU representatives led by President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz and Vice President for Medical and Allied Sciences, Dr. Celina Gellada, to discuss matters regarding the University’s limited face-to-face classes of the medical courses and the proposal to utilize another floor at the WVSU Medical Center to help out with the CoVid situation in the city.
As to the limited face-to-face classes, Dr. Villaruz stressed. “We will be doing the cyclical system when it comes to face-to-face classes. With our classrooms retrofitted, only 50% capacity will be allowed per face-to-face session. We are still going to be faithful to the memorandum circular (of the Commission on Higher Education) that once the city is on General Community Quarantine, we will proceed.” As to the 4th year medical students and those undergoing internships, they will be back to the hospital, no matter the community quarantine status is.
Treñas suggested that students must be first fully vaccinated before going back to the limited face-to-face classes. Dr. Gellada said that 75% of the 3rd and 4th year Medical students are fully vaccinated.
The mayor referred WVSU to the Iloilo City Covid-19 focal person Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, who was also present during the virtual meeting, for coordination regarding vaccination of all medical and nursing students before the implementation of the aforementioned mode of instruction. He also said that if WVSU can gather 200 students, he would send a team to conduct the vaccination right there at the university.
Dr. Villaruz brought up the proposal on increasing the absorptive capacity of the University’s Medical Center, opening an additional floor with enough staff and equipment. Also, WVSU has applied for the utilization of university facilities for a human genome laboratory, so not all specimens will take time in Manila. He said, “We have proposed and submitted requirements. We will be helping out the city”.
The mayor expressed his support by saying that he will sign the endorsement of the WVSU proposals to fast-track action and implementation. He even added, “Whatever WVSU will need, I will endorse.”
To note, WVSU is one of the 24 Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) who passed the assessment conducted by CHED, the Department of Health and the local Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). # -CILPI