UP VOICE VOL.62 – APRIL 2021

The Official Newsletter of the University of Puthisastra (UP)-Vol.62 April 2021 Download

COVID-19 continues to devastate Higher Education and High School graduates both in Cambodia and around the world. The University of Puthisastra is very concerned that students have already lost most of their Year 12 education in 2020 and if we don’t take action then more essential learning will be lost in 2021 as well. Two years education is far too much to lose.

Therefore to address this, as a leading Higher Education institution in Cambodia, UP would like to announce that registration for our Foundation Year Program is now OPEN to ALL students!

The Foundation Year Program will be safe and fully online (UP has excellent online system delivering >40,000hrs of lessons in 2020) – with face-to-face teaching when its safe. A safe and effective route into Higher Education during COVID-19!

REGISTER NOW!

  • Deadline: 23 April 2021
  • Start date: 27 April 2021

Register via the following link:https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSdMGNPUj…/viewform

Payment details:

  • Risk free
  • First month is free. If students wish to continue, then payments commence on 24th May. Students could be on 6 x monthly payments or full fees
  • Students who leave before 24th May pay no fees. After this time, if students transfer to another university they can receive a refund. Otherwise, payments will continue, ‘pro rata’. Students who fail any NEE (that MOH might organize) have the option of a refund

For more details, you can join the university’s official Telegram Group via the link:

(UP Admissions ព័ត៌មានសិក្សានៅសាកលវិទ្យាល័យ ពុទ្ធិសាស្រ្ត) https://t.me/UPAdmissions

Our team will respond promptly to provide further information.

WHAT’S UP ON CAMPUS – 13,14,15 APRIL 2021, KHMER NEW YEAR DAYS                                   -26 APRIL 2021, VISAK BOCHEA DAY

Congratulations to UP Students helping Covid Quarantine Center

More than 130 UP students from all faculties have responded to the call from the Royal Government of Cambodia for volunteers to fight COVID-19 especially the 20rth February community outbreak.

The volunteers are divided into smaller groups so that they can be sent to the assigned centers to provide vaccination to the general populations in Phnom Penh.

Dr. Ly Chourng Ay, a fresh graduate from Faculty of Medicine and the assigned team leader of a group of 25 members, expressed her excitement about this volunteering work “Facing the serious Covid-19 outbreak in Cambodia, and in the need of people having medical or related skill to help, I am having the honortable chance to help my fellow citizens. It is why I pursued the Medical Degree at UP.” Working closely with TYDA, Dr. Ay’s team help provide vaccinations to the population at Hun Sen Bunrany Wat Phnom High School.

Dr. Ay is very excited about what her team and UP teams are doing. “It is the opportunity for me to learn about working as a team and deal with issues that might occur unexpectedly during the mission,” said Dr. Ay. Another fresh graduate from Batch II and team leaders is Dr. Taing Bunleang. Dr Bunleang has been volunteering with TYDA and CHPAA ever since the semester break when he was a student at UP. He believes that during this hard time, it is his duty to help the community. He said “I strongly believe that it is a must for me, not only to help broaden my knowledge in this vaccination project, but also to save my community that is in danger now”.

He expressed his optimism “If every person gets vaccinated and strictly follows the measurement from the Prime Minister of Cambodia, 3 Dos and 3 Don’ts, the country will see the reduction of disease transmission and the stable economy”.

In addition, Mr. Lorn Thailin, batch 7 pharmacy student said “I want to join this vaccination program because I want to help my country during this difficult time so that the Cambodian people, society and the country are safe from the deadly disease. I am really grateful for my family allowing me to learn this skill at UP so that I can help society”.

Ms. Khet Sivkheng, batch 6 pharmacy student also stated that “The reason to become a volunteer is that, for those of in the health science field, if we do not take this risks in this situation, so who can save our people?”

UP and whole UP family are very proud to have the students and alumni who have a great courage to volunteer fighting the Covid19 disease and fighting for Cambodia as a whole. It definitely matches to our core value “Honor Self, Respect Others and Develop Society”

UP pharmacy students volunteer to combat against Covid-19

UP Faculty of Pharmacy is the only pharmacy school in Cambodia to provide the most opportunities for pharmacy students to do volunteer work in the community pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry/company and medical laboratory especially during the semester I and II breaks.

UP is not standing still. UP pharmacy and other future healthcare professionals are not standing and waiting. They are very active to do volunteer work in different associations: Samdech Techo Voluntary Youth Doctor Association (TYDA), Samdech Techo Voluntary Youth Doctor Association, and Doctor Alliance-UYFC. In total, there are 57 UP pharmacy students who do volunteer jobs for Covid 19 pandemic and vaccination.

Here are some voices from our volunteer students.

  1. Ms. Lim Lynay, batch 6 pharmacy student said “I want to utilize my skills to help society and people around me. I am delighted that I have chance to participate in this event”.
  2. Mr. Lorn Thailin, batch 7 pharmacy student said “I want to join this vaccination program because I want to help my country during this difficult time so that the Cambodian people, society and the country are safe from the deadly disease. I am really grateful for my family allowing me to learn this skill so that I can help society”.
  3. Ms. Veng Chhenghong, batch 6 pharmacy student said “As a pharmacy student, I want to help society to cope with this terrible disease. On the other hand, I want to learn from new experiences. Even though, I cannot not help much now, I am willing and do it from the bottom of my heart, and I am glad that I can contribute to my country”.
  4. Ms. Koh Kanika, batch 9 pharmacy student said “The reasons I participate in TYDA because I can get new experience, new knowledge, increase capacity, courage, build relationships with the outside world and people around me. Secondly, I can share knowledge, exchange experiences with each other and know how to work as a team. I can also develop myself and improve my problem solving skills. Importantly, it is an opportunity for me to contribute to society in this difficult situation. It is the cause of the country. As a citizen and a health science student, I want to help my country as much as I can. To sum up, I want our life to back as normal again”.
  5. Ms. Chan Sreyya, batch 9 pharmacy student said “The reason I joined COVID-19 volunteer because I enjoy helping others and I would love to serve and sacrifice my life to fight and protect the world from the COVID-19 pandemic and due to this volunteer I want to build my soft skills as I work with different people”.
  6. Ms. Taing Gechkim, batch 9 pharmacy student said “I am volunteering to help vaccination campaign with TYDA team at Sampov Meas Primary School. The reason I join because I want to contribute to the society that is facing the covid-19 pandemic”.
  7. Ms. Khet Sivkheng, batch 6 pharmacy student said “The reason to become a volunteer is that, as we are in the health science field, if we do not take this risks in this situation, so who can save our people?”
  8. Ms. Ty Sreyhea, batch 6 pharmacy student said “The nation is in great need of core force like all of us. As health science students, I will do my best together to help the Cambodian people overcome this tragedy”.

UP’s Faculty of Nursing launches Online training courses

UP is one of first universities in Cambodia to offer CPD nursing training.

Nursing professionals are embracing UPs Continuous Professional Development (CPD), to improve their skills and patient care outcomes. The Faculty of Nursing has been working with experts both in Cambodia and overseas to provide CPD training to Cambodian nurses.

Between 8th February and 5th April, 2021, the Nursing Faculty has provided six training sessions in collaboration with the ‘EMAS’ team from Canada on a varied range of professional development areas, including:

  • 8th February, 2021: The ICU Nursing Role;
  • 22nd February, 2021: Code of Ethics;
  • 1st March, 2021: Tracheostomy Care & Oxygen Modalities;
  • 15th March, 2021: Central Line & Chest Tube Management;
  • 22nd March, 2021: Neuro Assessment/Neuro Patient Management;
  • 5th April, 2021: ABGs & Ventilation.

Joining the courses was made easy, by providing links on UP’s Facebook pages and sending out invites via UP email. The courses were provided both online and face-to-face when COVID-19 conditions allowed.

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Vennue’s Digital Hub for UP Pharmacy Staffs and Students

Continued Professional development is essential because it keeps all of us remain competent in our profession.

In Pharmacy, it maintains appropriate experience in pharmacy practice, keeping up-to-date with continuing education and professional competency and undertaking appropriate development and training opportunities that are relevant to the pharmacy practice. Although COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 makes physical education impossible, we cannot stop progress.

Vennue Digital Hub is one way to make education possible. Vennue’s new platform (Vennue Digital Hub) is a platform for students and pharmacists to use to adopt their continuing professional development. University of Puthisatra is the first University in Cambodia that has cooperated with Vennue’s Foundation to implement this new digital platform to improve pharmacy students’ and pharmacists’ competencies.

Twenty participants in total (including 13 students and 3 staff from UP’s Faculty of Pharmacy) used this digital platform. Vennue’s digital hub offers many advantages for students and pharmacists who have attended this training.

UP MEETS WITH DR MOM KONG FROM THE CAMBODIA MOVEMENT FOR HEALTH (CMH)

The Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH) was established in 2006 as a non-governmental organization committed to promoting public health. Its current efforts are focused primarily on tobacco and alcohol control, and it has had great success in this area. Their work has included advocacy for effective implementation of the international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, passage of the Cambodian Law on Tobacco Control, establishment and implementation of smoke-free policies for military workplaces and campuses, schools, and health facilities, as well as conducting research which can be used for advocacy. It has developed a wide network of partners, and is often quoted in the media.

UP was represented at the meeting by Assoc Prof Tineke Water (Director of Research), Prof Callum Durward (Dean of Dentistry), Dr Chuon Channarena (lecturer and researcher in the Faculty of Medicine), Ms Tan Sreypouv (Head of Nursing) and Dr Prom Vireak (Assistant Dean in Faculty of Medicine).

The work and research interests of each organization were shared, and areas for potential collaboration were identified. These include potential research collaborations, as well as supporting the education of UP health sciences students in the area of tobacco control. Concerns about the high sugar consumption in Cambodia (as shown by recent UP studies) and its implications for both oral and general health were also discussed. We are looking forward to a productive collaboration between CMH and UP in the future.

10 Key Things Dentists Need to Do During Covid-19 Outbreak

Last week, in response to the escalating number of cases of Covid-19 in Cambodia, including incidents in several dental clinics, UP Faculty of Dentistry staff produced a summary of the National Guidelines on Cross Infection Control during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Entitled “10 Key Things Dentists Need to Do During Covid-19 Outbreak”, the most important procedures to ensure safety for patients and staff in dental clinics were highlighted. Mr Kanika from Marketing Department helped to format the document, which was then sent out by Telegram, Email, WhatsApp and Facebook to dentists all over Cambodia.

Dentists who are now very concerned about the potential for cross infection in their dental clinics, and will find this document very helpful. We would like to thank Dr Tepirou (Chief Dental Officer at MOH) and Mrs Glenda Stainton (from the OMF NGO) for their input into the document.

UP DENTAL STUaDENTS JOIN ONLINE SHORT COURSE IN BIOMOLECULAR TRAINING FOR DENTAL RESEARCHUP DENTAL STUaDENTS JOIN ONLINE SHORT COURSE IN BIOMOLECULAR TRAINING FOR DENTAL RESEARCH

From 20 March to 10 April, 10 UP dental students (and lecturer Dr Bich Sothea) participated in a research training short course offered by Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Dentistry. The students were Techhong Hout, Menglong Ly, Bunho Tan, Bunrous But, Sileng Yorm, Maradin Houn, Raksmey Chen, Rongsanida Eong, Puthyka Ho, and Nita Chhom. The opportunity came about following an invitation from the Dean of UI Prof. Dr. M.F Lindawati S. Kusdhany. UP has an MOU with UI and has had an active exchange program in the past.

During the online course, students learnt about the key elements of conducting good quality research, research methods in dentistry (including in vivo and in vitro techniques related to periodontal disease, dental caries, herbal medicines, tissue regeneration and forensic dentistry, and dental materials), the principles of research ethics, and basic statistics.

The learning strategy used was Student Centered Active Learning which involved discussion, presentations and interactive lectures. The 8 lecturers in the course included Assoc Prof Astrid Bakker from the ACTA Dental School in Netherlands and Prof Boy Bachtiar from Universitas Indonesia. There were several assessments and group assignments to be completed.

Year 3 student Tan Bunho said he learned a lot new things during the course, but felt it was a lot to take in. He especially enjoyed learning about how to design an experiment. He is grateful for the opportunity to join the course and believes it will help in the future with his thesis.