First Day of the Semester Sees Rapid Screening Station Begin Operation and Medical Students Help as Volunteers
Written by and image credit to NCKU News Center.
Today September 15 saw the first day of the new semester, National Cheng Kung University actively implements COVID-19 prevention policies and has set up a rapid screening station on the first floor of Yun-Ping Building, East Block, providing free rapid screening tests for NCKU faculty, students, and staff. Reservations can be made via the mobile phone application KUAP (NCKU Announcement Platform). A team of volunteers, made up of students from the College of Medicine, will be on-site to provide consultation on rapid screening. With high efficiency and professional assistance, the rapid screening station helps the users to safely conduct screening tests.
NCKU provides free rapid screening tests for NCKU faculty, students, and staff
Huey-Jen Jenny Su, President of NCKU, expressed that the university is committed to using knowledge to fulfill its missions and to take on its responsibilities amidst challenges. The university influences the future with courage and wisdom. Starting from January 20 of 2020, in the past 20 months, NCKU has developed all kinds of smart tools, including footprint and health records tracking via the KUAP, online alert systems for medical personnel with the bracelet HEARThermo, and the world’s first prototype of mobile emergency quarantine unit “QurE”, and welcomes any parties to use it for reference if needed. Protecting its campus with a sincere attitude, NCKU applies knowledge to bring hope to the society!
‘A Safer NCKU, A More Welcoming Campus!’ President Su says that NCKU, with a caring attitude, is a university that does not shy away from responsibilities and is capable in its practice. “In the fight against the pandemic, the community acts as a whole on its promises and responsibilities. NCKU aims to serve the people. Behind the rapid screening station, PCR test, and vaccinations, NCKU carefully puts down thorough safety measures. We utilize technology in the fight against COVID-19. Together, we protect the campus, protect our home, and protect our society and nation. Together, we prosper.”
NCKU has developed all kinds of smart tools to protect its campus with an sincere attitude
Integrating various resources of NCKU College of Medicine, the screening station offers service at fixed time periods and location. Prior to this, NCKU has provided free rapid screening kits for the faculty, students, and staff who are in need of them, according to Ching-Chang Lee, Executive Vice President of NCKU. Now, the rapid screening station is an upgrade to this service. In addition to a better environment to conduct the tests in, the service becomes more efficient as the KUAP is incorporated for users to make reservations. Users can upload their screening results to the KUAP after completing a test by themselves, so the data can be integrated both offline and online. QR codes linking to video instructions can be found around the station, allowing the users to carry out the steps following instructions given by the nurse in the video.
Integrating information via the KUAP allows the university to better control the crowd to avoid forming clusters
Taking from the concept of class periods, the registration for rapid screening is divided into different time periods in order for the university to grasp the conditions. Student volunteers with professional background provide assistance during their free periods, realizing the spirit of public health education. “Integrating information via the KUAP allows us to better control the crowd to avoid forming clusters, and it also helps us dispatch our staff better,” Ming-Chi Li, Director of the Health Center, said. “We can adjust our staff size according to the registrations. If a particular time period reached full registration, we will know there is a need that has not been met. We can then make adjustments in line with the COVID-19 prevention policies to increase the limit for registration.” When a certain time period has reached full registration, the system will close the period from more registrations.
Instructions to the rapid screening test can be found around the station
At the start of the semester, there is a group on NCKU campus that constantly watches out for all aspects and keeps close contact through meetings in order to make immediate responses regarding pandemic prevention.
Yan-Shen Shan, Dean of the College of Medicine, expressed that the university must ensure the safety of all its faculty, students, and staff, while maintaining the continuation of its academic activities. Health is a fundamental asset. One has to stay healthy to peacefully take classes and do research. Yan-Shen Shan also pointed out that as NCKU has both the College of Medicine and the NCKU Hospital, it harbors adequate medical energy to give back to the community. During the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games in May earlier this year, the College of Medicine gathered its students as volunteers to help tend to the athletes’ wounds and deal with smaller emergencies onsite. The College of Medicine also fully supports the establishment of the rapid screening station, calling together students in the Department of Nursing who have been professional trained and possess registered nurse licenses to assist the operation of the station.
Users can upload their screening results to the KUAP after completing a test by themselves
“Excellent! Amazing!” is what Nai-Ying Ko, Dean of the Department of Nursing, said, impressed and filled with appreciation, when talking about the students who volunteered to assemble a team to help at the screening station. Words of praise repeatedly fell from her lips, “They are truly outstanding!”
Over only one weekend, NCKU students assembled a team of volunteers among themselves. Under the support form Yan-Shen Shan, Nai-Ying Ko recruited 65 students, from different departments of the College of Medicine, to join the volunteer team. Local students and foreign students worked together to produce Q&A written in both Mandarin Chinese and English and establish an online consulting platform with LINE, according to Nai-Ying Ko. In the online training course, Tzu-Chun Chen, professional nurse and also graduate student at the Department of Nursing, demonstrated how to conduct a rapid screening test. “Students are actively participating and utilizing their ability to efficiently make and execute plans. Their actions reflect the NCKU attitude to serve the community. It’s likely that these volunteers didn’t know each other before this, but they cooperate smoothly. The university is grateful for these students’ willingness to contribute, to guard the safety of people, and to use their professional knowledge to protect the entire campus.”
A total of 65 students, from different departments of the College of Medicine, has joined the volunteer team, reflecting the NCKU attitude to serve the community
Yao-Te Tsai, a sophomore from the Department of Medicine, was recommended by the College of Medicine to act as correspondent of the student volunteer. The efficiency he has demonstrated in establishing a trusting style teamwork is astonishing. “The virus cares not about age, sex, or race. The work of pandemic prevention is not something that should be left only to the teachers or authority.” Yao-Te Tsai expressed that while he is yet fully equipped to stand on the first line of defense against the pandemic, volunteering is his way to break out of his identity as a student. He humbly said that the efficiency was a product of teamwork instead of a one-man job. “It was truly touching to see everyone willing to participate in discussions and execution. I learned a lot in the process.” Calling together fellow students of different departments, nationalities, and opinions reflects the teamwork spirit emphasized in medical education, Yao-Te Tsai believes. The whole school works together to face the virus and to contribute to the medical system and campus safety, “it’s something to find joy and take pride in, to gather everyone together and put our efforts into the same goal.”
Utilizing technology in the fight against the pandemic and connecting with the world, NCKU strives to protect its students with practical actions. Casting the light of knowledge and incorporating the expertise of each field to build a secure line of defense against COVID-19 with PCR tests, rapid screening, and vaccination, NCKU operates with a meticulous system to ensure the safety of everybody.
The NCKU rapid screening station begins operation with medical students helping as volunteers
Provider:
News Center
Date:
2021-09-15
