AKU's medical and nursing students have joined the University and University Hospital's efforts to respond to the public's concerns about the coronavirus and to raise awareness of measures that can halt new cases.
“We believe that we may be able to lend a hand in tackling the coronavirus issue," said Kaleem Ahmed, a final-year AKU MBBS student and Student Taskforce Against COVID-19 (STAC-19) founder. “We are willing, we are able and we are ready. Our ethos derives from our oath to serve and we wish to assist AKU's brave residents, nurses, faculty and staff during this public health crisis in whatever capacity we can."
Starting as a team of just five AKU students*, STAC-19 is now expanding to engage and direct students from other medical and non-medical universities. In just six days, the group has signed up over 400 volunteers from the college student community.
STAC-19 members are engaging in a variety of ways. Some are trained first responders, guiding members of the public calling AKU's 24-hour COVID-19 hotline at 021 111 911 911. Others are helping in the efforts to slow the rate of infection or 'flatten the curve', by tracking down the contacts of those who have tested positive for the virus. Several students are raising awareness about preventive measures through videos and flyers.
Students looking to join STAC-19 can email: StudentTaskforceAgainstCOVID@gmail.com. Members of the public with questions about COVID-19 in Pakistan are encouraged to call: 021 111 911 911.
* STAC-19's co-founders are Anam N. Ehsan, Huzaifa Zafar, Ali Aahil Noorali and Faiza Urooj.
AKU's medical and nursing students have joined the University and University Hospital's efforts to respond to the public's concerns about the coronavirus and to raise awareness of measures that can halt new cases.
“We believe that we may be able to lend a hand in tackling the coronavirus issue," said Kaleem Ahmed, a final-year AKU MBBS student and Student Taskforce Against COVID-19 (STAC-19) founder. “We are willing, we are able and we are ready. Our ethos derives from our oath to serve and we wish to assist AKU's brave residents, nurses, faculty and staff during this public health crisis in whatever capacity we can."
Starting as a team of just five AKU students*, STAC-19 is now expanding to engage and direct students from other medical and non-medical universities. In just six days, the group has signed up over 400 volunteers from the college student community.
STAC-19 members are engaging in a variety of ways. Some are trained first responders, guiding members of the public calling AKU's 24-hour COVID-19 hotline at 021 111 911 911. Others are helping in the efforts to slow the rate of infection or 'flatten the curve', by tracking down the contacts of those who have tested positive for the virus. Several students are raising awareness about preventive measures through videos and flyers.
Students looking to join STAC-19 can email: StudentTaskforceAgainstCOVID@gmail.com. Members of the public with questions about COVID-19 in Pakistan are encouraged to call: 021 111 911 911.
* STAC-19's co-founders are Anam N. Ehsan, Huzaifa Zafar, Ali Aahil Noorali and Faiza Urooj.
