Makerere University students have expressed concern over the surging number of Covid-19 cases in the university campus.
Mwesigwa Calvin, who is the 87th guild minister for health at Makerere noted in a letter on December 27, 2021, that cases of students with signs of Covid19 is very high, especially after the recently concluded festive weekend.
The letter forced the students leadership body, led by the Guild President Shamim Nambassa to visit the Makerere University hospital where they discovered that the situation was getting out of hand.
Following the hospital visit, Nambassa noted in a letter dated December 29, 2021 that at least 4 out of every 10 students have tested positive for Covid-19.
Nambassa also noted in her letter, that the Makerere University Hospital has also run out of test kits, which limits the ability to effectively test students.
“Students are being charged up to Shs 100,000 to get tested, and to acquire basic medication by the facility, albeit hospital fee being catered for under functional fee,” Nambassa noted.
The development comes at a time when the students are preparing for their end of semester examinations in January next week.
The student body is concerned with how examinations will be carried out in such an environment, without putting other students at risk.
Students task administration to intervene
Nambassa tasked Prof. Umar Kakumba, who is the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs to come out and intervene over the shortage of testing materials at the university hospital.
The student leadership wants mass testing for Covid-19 to be free for all students, urging that the fee is already covered in the functional fees that the students pay.
Nambassa also demanded that the administration pronounces its self on how the surge will be handled during examinations.
