Idea to attract KBR students for combating "omicron" sparks disputes in social networks

Authorities of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) have decided to involve students and teachers of medical educational establishments in the fight against the new coronavirus wave. However, some Instagram users have suggested that students had been on distance learning for a long time, and they lack medical knowledge for the mission.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 18, first cases of infection with the coronavirus omicron strain were fixed in the KBR.

The KBR's Ministry of Public Health (MPH) and officials of medical schools have discussed the attraction of students and teachers in case of a new coronavirus wave, says the message posted on January 20 on the website of the KBR's Government.

It is planned that teachers will provide medical care, while students will work in call centres, collect information about sick people staying at home and give them recommendations. Non-medical students can also volunteer to deliver medicines to patients receiving outpatient treatment, the message says.

The post saying that KBR's authorities intend to involve medical students and teachers combating coronavirus was posted on January 20 on the Instagram page chp.nalchik. Some commentators doubted that students' knowledge is sufficient for the mission after the distance learning.

"For two years, students have been trained remotely; they didn't even hold a syringe in their hands; how can they help?" the user Sonya_batyrova1 has asked. "Will students who have been at distance training since October be able to help?" the user elyaaame has also asked.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 21, 2022 at 08:52 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.