Poor hygiene delays UNZA, CBU re-opening

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 08:37:57 +0000

By MUKOSELA KASALWE

HIGHER learning institutions like UNZA and CBU will remain closed until public health inspectors on the ground are satisfied with the hygienic standards in the wake of the cholera epidemic, says Higher Education minister professor Nkandu Luo.

Prof. Luo said hygiene standards in public institutions have fallen to the lowest standards and that this was because some learning institutions such as Chalimbana and Kwame Nkrumah have reverted back to poor hygiene standards because they though health impactions would be a one off activity.

She told Parliament yesterday, in a ministerial statement that health inspections which commenced as a result of the cholera epidemic would continue to ensure the highest level of sanitation.

Prof. Luo said the institutions of higher learning would be inspected routinely every two weeks.

“As the institutions finalise their rehabilitation works, follow-up inspections will be conducted to ensure that the conditions prevailing in the institutions are conducive for re-opening and will pause a threat to students and lecturers alike,” she said.

She said she personally inspected UNZA on January 25 and Ridge Campus on January this year and UNZA to appreciate challenges associated with the prolonged closure of the institutions.

The minister said in order to ensure that lives were safeguarded and to prevent the outbreak of cholera in the learning institutions, her ministry working with the management teams of the institutions to avoid a situation where they could become cholera epicenters themselves.

Prof. Luo said the focus of rehabilitation works at the three universities has been the rehabilitation of the sewer systems, ablution blocks and bathing facilities such as showers.

She said that while it was established that the while the environment was generally cleaned infrastructure such as were students cooked from and their rooms were filthy.