In accordance with the letter of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine of 11.03.2020 No. 1/9-154 and in pursuance of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 11.03.2020 No. 211 “On Prevention of COVID-19 Coronavirus Spread on the Territory of Ukraine”, the University has implemented a system of preventive measures.
On March, 12 an epidemiological surveillance group was created and Rector of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” Volodymyr Onyshchenko became the head of it. In the morning and at the end of working day the staff has meetings and controls the instruction on the preventive measures execution. The access to the University buildings is limited, the entrance is only possible through the main building. All the employees are allowed to working place only after obligatory temperature screening at the entrance; non-contact infrared thermometers have been purchased. The people on duty collect the data; if a person has flu symptoms, fever or feels unwell, they do not enter the University. In this case, they have to call their doctor and stay home. Cleaning personnel regularly perform wet cleaning; water closets and offices are supplied with soap, hand sanitizer and disinfectant.
“In such conditions we take preventive actions, not waiting for further instructions. The billiards and cheer-leading contests for school students from all over Ukraine planned for this period had to be postponed, classes were switched to distant form. We did not have to reorganize for it, as we were ready for unexpected challenges. Every day we solve numerous current problems and tasks, because we feel responsible for our students’ and employees’ health,” said Rector of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko.
At the students’ campus of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, preventive measures against flu spread were taken long before the nationwide quarantine introduction. The students were informed about the necessity of personal hygiene; informational papers from the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Centre of MH of Ukraine about the prevention of Coronavirus COVID-19 were placed at all entrances and halls of the dormitories.
Ukrainian students can go home during the quarantine, but the international students, people from the area of Military Forces Operation, and orphan children continue living in the University dormitories.
The cleaning personnel do wet cleaning with chlorine tablets “Sanides” and “Klinides” and disinfectants according to a special time-table. In the evening, staircases and halls are disinfected.
From 4 AM to 5 AM front security desks, halls and corridors of dormitories are sterilized.
In case of unexpected flu or other virus infection spreading among students or University staff, isolation rooms of different protection levels are available in the campus hospital, dormitory No. 5 can house up to 32 people, and “Rooms for newly arrived” which can contain 9 people for international students arriving during quarantine.
“To prevent the mass spread of virus infections and flu, to limit the contacts of the ones having fever or other symptoms with the healthy people, we will place them in the isolation room at once. They are equipped with everything needed, they have separate toilet facilities, showers, a kitchen. These rooms are only used in case of emergency epidemiological situations,” said Andriy Postavnyi, campus director at National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”.
Anastasiia Bondarenko, campus nurse, said that during the autumn-winter period there weren’t many complains about fever, headache or other flu symptoms among students, more often they turn to her with blood pressure or heart problems.
The dormitory also has a temporary first-aid post in case of someone having sudden fever or feeling unwell.
During the day, the nurse is on duty at the campus hospital, she has all the necessary means for first aid. Students and University teachers can come to the nurse if they need medical help.
In spite of the quarantine introduced in the city and in the country, the educational process at the University has not been stopped. The students are provided with educational services, the work with gifted youth to prepare for various contests and competition continues. Only the form of classes and supervision has been changed, teachers and students have switched to online communication, there is an online-platform for distance education where every student has their own personal account, can look through the uploaded online courses on their specialty, write their questions to a teacher, receive qualified tutorial.
The administration of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” functions in a usual mode.
