CHANCO ENGAGES NURSING INTERNS

Chancellor College has engaged nursing interns to assist in collecting Covid-19 related data as a way of in improving its efforts to positively and rapidly respond to any possible Covid-19 suspected cases among staff and students. These are nurses registered by the Nurses and midwives Council of Malawi, and are graduates of various nursing institutions in Malawi. There are currently 11 nurses on campus, with the possibility of increasing the numbers later.

The nurses have been stationed at strategic locations where there is a lot of traffic into and out of the campus. According to the Chancellor College ICT Director, Ms Bridget Nyirongo, the nursing interns have been equipped with tablets and thermal body scanners for screening body temperature. Both pedestrians and motor vehicle drivers are scanned as they come to the campus. “They will use the gadgets to capture Covid-19 related data which in turn will inform the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Team in its responses”, Nyirongo said. “The tablets have been specifically configured to capture categories such as student, staff, visitor, or patient designation. The nurses can also record one’s physical address, any other contact details, temperature checks, age, signs and symptoms related to COVID-19, among others.”

Ms Nyirongo added that while the Covid-19 captured data is being used by the technical team, staff and students can also use the same for research purposes. “Students and staff can use the data for research and it can also provide them with the trends related to COVID-19 suspect cases in our Chanco community”, she said, adding that those intending to use the data should contact the Chairperson of the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Team, Associate Professor Dylo Pemba. 

The initiative to engage nursing interns is a direct response to one of the requirements from the Ministry of Education for safe reopening of the College which will see the nursing interns stay at the College for a period of five months.