We’ve managed to quickly implement a massive transition to distance teaching, and I want to commend you all on everything you’ve done. I am immensely impressed with all of your efforts to help reduce the spread of the virus. In this difficult situation, I see how teachers, researchers and other colleagues are working together and helping each other in a fantastic way.
With just a few exceptions, our students are still able to participate in clinical and other workplace placements. To address the challenges resulting from the current situation, much of planned care has been cancelled, which can make clinical and other workplace placements more difficult. There is widespread agreement within all programs to prioritize the students studying on their final semester so that they can graduate. The vice-chancellor has just informed us that we have an exemption to continue, above all, clinical exams to a reduced extent and under controlled forms at the Clinical Training Center (KTC) and at Odontologen.
We are continuing to monitor the situation and handle any issues that arise. At the national level, the deans of the medical faculties, including myself, have almost daily contact where we touchbase on developments. We now have a phone conference each morning with the faculty management group, where both the heads of institutes and the board participate, to discuss relevant questions. The Laboratory for Experimental Biomedicine (EBM) has conducted a very good consequence analysis and has a well-prepared plan in place, and I feel confident that their operations will be able to continue to work smoothly.
Obviously, everyone wants to do help in this difficult situation, and Sahlgrenska Academy wants to do more than just take care of itself. We support our colleagues and students who are working within the health care system. The health care system has asked the university to do an inventory to see if we have protective equipment that we can spare, and at EBM, we have offered three respirators. I also know that we have nurses who are taking specialist training and who are prepared to return to their workplaces within the health care system.
Many people are using Zoom to attend their classes and meetings, but it is very important the system is not overloaded. I would therefore like to recommend that everyone teaching also make PowerPoint videos and add these to Canvas. This will help ensure IT security and stability.
We hope and we believe that the current situation will be for a limited amount of time and that we will soon be able to return to our normal work.
Agneta Holmäng
