unri. ac.id Riau University (UNRI) became the first university in Riau Province in the Even Semester 2020/2021 that was ready to carry out Hybrid Teaching and Learning Activities (KBM). Hybrid KBM is a combination of online ( online) and offline ( offline ) teaching and learning activities, referring to the circular letter of the Director General of Higher Education number 06 of 2020 concerning Hybrid KBM. For the smooth implementation, UNRI has coordinated with the Riau Province Covid-19 Task Force and the Pekanbaru City Covid-19 Task Force.
The implementation of Hybrid KBM at UNRI coincides with the start of blended KBM at the primary and secondary education levels in Pekanbaru City. Prof. Dr. Iwantono M Phil, as the Head of the UNRI Disaster Preparedness Task Force, explained that UNRI had prepared the Hybrid KBM as best it could. Among them is by compiling a guidebook for the implementation of Hybrid KBM. This manual contains detailed general principles, preparation, implementation, and supervision of Hybrid KBM activities at UNRI, including anticipating the handling of positive cases of Covid-19. This guidebook is a mandatory guide for the entire academic community in the implementation of Hybrid KBM at UNRI.
Iwantono as UNRI Deputy Chancellor for Student Affairs and Alumni, further explained that since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, UNRI has formed a Task Force to control Covid-19. In 2021 the Task Force will be further strengthened, both from the work system and human resources, especially from lecturers from the Faculty of Medicine. Not only at the university level, every faculty is also required to form a task force, as an absolute requirement for the implementation of Hybrid KBM in Higher Education.
UNRI has also conducted an assessment of the readiness of the Hybrid KBM faculties which was followed up with online socialization about the implementation of Hybrid KBM to all faculties and student institutions. Prof. Dr. dr. Dedi Afandi DFM SpFM (K), as the spokesperson for the UNRI Task Force, said that UNRI was trying to optimize its health resources. The doctors we have are all out to support the implementation of Hybrid KBM, starting from prevention in the form of education and socialization, as well as anticipating when cases occur so as to prevent the possibility of clusters appearing.
The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, UNRI, also explained that so far doctors at the Faculty of Medicine have supported the Covid-19 Task Force in Riau Province and Pekanbaru City, such as Dr. Suyanto MPH, PhD, an epidemiologist who helps the task force for Riau Province and Pekanbaru City. Likewise, the staff at the Biomolecular Laboratory of the Arifin Ahmad Hospital, all of which are from UNRI, especially the Faculty of Medicine and FMIPA.
Recently, UNRI also received the assistance of an automatic RNA extraction machine and a Real-Time PCR machine from BNPB. LONTAR FK UNRI's Integrated Biomedical Laboratory is also preparing to become one of the network laboratories for Covid-19 examiners. The existence of this laboratory is expected to increase access and speed of testing and tracing Covid-19 in the UNRI environment.
On this occasion, Suyanto explained that he was currently asked to be the head of the Covid-19 Education Division of the UNRI Task Force which is responsible for providing enlightenment to the entire academic community about Covid-19 and the efforts that must be made so that the UNRI cluster does not occur.
According to Suyanto, what is meant by cluster is if a group of confirmed infection cases are found that are interconnected at the same time and location of the incident. Periodic self-assessment is also carried out as an initial assessment of the risk of Covid-19, which is followed up with a virtual Covid-19 polyclinic for those who are at high risk. Tracing is also carried out by the UNRI Hospital if there are positive cases. This is a form of our vigilance to break the chain of covid 19 in the UNRI environment.
"Therefore, it is necessary to cooperate with all parties, both lecturers, education staff, and also students while still complying with health protocols and making efforts to be alert to the possibility of clusters, especially in activities that involve many participants," concluded Suyanto. (rls. photo: ist) ***
