The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) is eyeing to reopen limited face-to-face classes at the College of Medicine.
PLM officials and professors held online consultations with students, parents, faculty, and practicing doctors at the Ospital ng Maynila to gauge the reception and preparedness of stakeholders to the idea of returning to hands-on learning.
"It is important for our medical students to continue their education and graduate so that we could have more healthcare workers in the future," PLM President Emmanuel Leyco said in Filipino.
PLM College of Medicine Assistant Dean Marita Fuentes said students will not be assigned to the emergency room, outpatient department, or COVID-19 wards of the Ospital ng Maynila, where students will render their on-site training.
Fuentes added that students could also be prioritized for COVID-19 shots once they become available locally.
The state university will decide whether it will push through with the plan and set the guidelines for returning medicine students on March 1.
PLM assured all students who will pursue clerkship at the Ospital ng Maynila will be subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test and will be constantly monitored for symptoms.
President Duterte approved in January the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)’s proposal to allow the holding of limited face-to-face classes for medical schools and allied health science programs.
In February, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso approved the proposals of University of Santo Tomas (UST) and Centro Escolar University (CEU) to hold limited face-to-face classes.