Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — There has been a tremendous response from both Saudis and expatriates for a unique awareness campaign program organized recently by Jeddah’s Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies (ISNC) against coronavirus pandemic.

As many as 29 awareness campaigns using social media platforms have been conducted in which ISNC medical students in their third and fourth years participated.

The medical students had a very memorable experience interacting and educating more than 3,500 online campaign participants and over 1,000 Twitter followers, including Saudis and expatriates.

Elective Coordinator Prof. Manal Ibrahim Hanafi, Community Services Coordinator Dr. Helen Suban Mohammed Gouse and supervisors of Medicine Program guided the program.

The third year students concentrated in their online campaign topics related to COVID-19 such as outbreak of coronavirus; immune boosting; healthy habits during COVID-19; Hand-hygiene; cough etiquettes; safety measures at recreation centers; online learning pattern; effect of COVID-19 on media industry; and methods to cope with anxiety and to keep safe workplace.

The campaign also focused on making aware about COVID-19 symptoms among Saudi and non-Saudis, as well as about household handling of COVID-19 patients.

In the campaign, the fourth year students focused on topics related to communicable and preventable diseases like diphtheria, malaria, dengue fever, whooping cough, brucellosis, chicken-pox, rabies, tetanus, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis and measles.

A large number of prominent figures addressed Zoom webinars as part of the campaign and they included Prof. Fahad Al-Qahtani (dean of dentistry, Al-Baha University), Prof. Tariq Ahmed Al-Madani (infectious disease consultant, King Abdulaziz University Hospital), Dr. Yousef Hussain Al Zahib, (family medicine, Al-Wasaif Primary Health Care), Dr. Mohammad Al-Omari, (emergency consultant, King Faisal Hospital).

Others included Dr. Sara Al-Shaikh, (consultant nephrologist, King Khalid University Hospital), Dr. Riyadh Gazi, (infectious disease consultant, Hira General Hospital), Dr. Ahmed Al-Zhrani, (head of nursing department), Dr. Mona Al-Faris, (infectious disease consultant, KAUH), Dr. Atef Rashed, (pediatric consultant, Maternity & Children Hospital, Makkah), Dr. Nezar Bahabri (infectious disease consultant), Dr. Mohammed Al-Hararazi (specialist of preventive medicine), Dr. Emad Khaled (dentist), and Dr. Yazid Al-Otaibi (clinical nutritionist).

Several quiz programs were conducted and gifts were distributed to encourage the public to take part in the event. Pre and post surveys were carried out as part of the campaign.

ISNC Dean Dr. Rashad Hassan Habibulla Al-Kashgari and Vice Deans Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Yahya, Prof. Zainy Banjar, Dr. Othman Wali, and Dr. Huda Othman actively participated in making the campaign a resounding success.