Students, staff and researchers at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) have been making a significant contribution over the last number of weeks to address some of the many challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prof Willie Donnelly, President of WIT, said “We are immensely proud to make a contribution to this national effort. As well as making very radical changes in our approach to learning, teaching, and assessment, our students and staff have also been working very hard in innovative and creative ways to help in whatever way they can their local communities and the country at this very difficult time.”
At the forefront of the response are WIT’s nursing students. Final year nursing students are playing a vital part in the clinical support of their registered nursing colleagues in University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and across the entire region while student nurses years 1-3, along with Applied Health Care students, have been recruited as health care assistants. Many have been employed in nursing homes, bringing their skills and support for a very vulnerable sector.
WIT’s research groups are also making a practical contribution to dealing with the emergency. Using advanced 3D printing technology, the South East Applied Materials Centre (SEAM) in the School of Engineering has developed a sealed face mask prototype for the clinicians in UHW. They plan to work with a local company on bringing this specialist mask into production very quickly.
The Department of Science and the Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC) have provided chemicals, reagents and PPE to UHW laboratory staff and are looking into new methods to increase the speed of testing for the virus. The researchers and staff are also involved in supporting companies involved in the manufacture of other products, including a local chemical company who are manufacturing hand sanitiser.
The Nutrition Research Centre of Ireland (NRCI), in the School of Health Sciences, based in on WIT’s West Campus at Carriganore, Waterford has, amongst other activities, mobilised an international community of researchers to examine ways of enhancing immunity to the virus with targeted nutrition for the ageing population.
Professor Donnelly said, “I want to thank all the staff and students of WIT who have really responded proactively and creatively to the national call. This is WIT’s 50th year. While we certainly did not anticipate this would be how it would be marked, it is truly a demonstration of all that has made WIT a special place to study and work that we see such a fantastic, generous response from students and staff to the needs of local communities and businesses.”
