The Kisumu National Polytechnic putting measures ahead of re-opening in September

 A worker at Textile department within The Kisumu National Polytechnic shows some of the face masks it has made for its students ahead of re-opening in September this year.Looking on is the Deputy Principal in charge academic affairs Nelly Okoyo-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo 

 By Dickson Odhiambo

July 28, 2020

The Kisumu National Polytechnic putting measures ahead of re-opening in September

THE Kisumu National Polytechnic has embarked on putting measures in place to help curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic when institution re-opens in September.

The institution is set to re-open in September this year alongside other institutions of higher learning across the country.

Addressing the press at her office within the Kisumu National Polytechnic, the institution’s Deputy Principal in charge of Academic Affairs Nelly Okoyo said they are currently putting on various measures as part of solutions which will help in curbing the spread of corona virus.

Okoyo says one of the measures being put in place include reducing the number of students who will be coming to the institution on a daily basis from 10,000 to 3,000.

She says the remaining 7,000 students will be attending online classes on a daily basis.

Okoyo says currently the institution’s is revamping its online platform for e-learning to cater for the initiative.

The Deputy Principal on the issue of social distancing, said the number of chairs per class have been reduced from about 45 to 20 per class, adding that this will also applicable in shared spaces where the distance of 1.5 meters among students in class will be fully observed.

Okoyo says there is a medical clinic where an isolation room has been identified and those students who will show signs of the corona virus be put separately.

She says the room will have a capacity of ten beds as part of measures being undertaken to help tackle the spread of the pandemic.

“The students who will be showing signs and symptoms similar to those of Covid-19 will be held in that isolation room awaiting to be tested by the relevant authority,” Okoyo says.

She further say that there are a number of sanitizers which have been placed at every entry point starting from the main gate, offices entrances and  to the classrooms, adding that water and soap are also available for hand washing.

The Deputy Principal says the institution has a plan to manufacture its own sanitizers and disinfectants, adding that a lot of these will be needed when students report back in September.

She says the institution is currently making face masks at the department of textile which will be freely provided to students upon the re-opening of the institution.

“We are planning to provide face masks freely to our students when learning resumes and will give two per student as we will have enough masks for all the students,” says Okoyo, adding that currently the employees of the institution are provided with face masks freely.

She says identification of students while entering the gate has been now biometric, adding that ten entry points for bio data collection have been put in place to carter for this.

On fee payment, the Deputy Principal says it has been made easy by ensuring that online banking integration has been put in place where the fee paid will be directly be receipted to the students account.

“This system will now make students not to come back to the accounts department to demand receipts for the fees payment as this will be automatically be sent directly to their accounts hence no crowding at the accounts department,” she adds.

She says the pay as you eat system at the dining hall within the institution is very effective because only those who choose to pay and eat food there will only the ones to be around.

Okoyo adds that they have reduced the number of those students who will be residing at the Hostels within the institution, adding that initially the hostels used to have 700 students on board but has been reduced to half which is 350 students.

She says the institution plans to partner with the county government of Kisumu so as to get the ambulatory services to help in addressing the emergency need related to Covid-19 pandemic.

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