THE National Training Unit (NTU) of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development is taking stricter measures on the health of its sponsored students.
As such, NTU is ensuring sponsored students complete a medical clearance form before their arrangements are processed.
Speaking during the 2016 orientation and the scholarship award presentation ceremony, NTU director Clement Tito said the decision to take stricter measures on the health status of sponsored students, is to ensure students are in good and healthy form to undergo studies overseas.
“We had some experiences in recent years where we have to deal with medical cases that were very expenses for the ministry.
“We therefore would like to avoid such huge expenditure again by ensuring we send people who are in good health.”
He said the only recommended clinic to undergo health clearance is the Honiara International Medical Clinic.
Asked why they chose only that clinic, the director said NTU did not want fake medical clearances.
“Past students pay various doctors to do their health clearances, which was cheating. That is why we decided to have only one medical clinic for the job to avoid faking the check-up.”
The health check includes X-ray, eye and ear tests, and diabetic and protein tests.
It was required for every SIG sponsored students to pay SBD$350 for their clearance.
The clinic’s general practitioner Dr Fletcher Kakai said since Thursday centre was flooded with students.
“So far, all students that visited the centre have got good results and are all cleared.”
Asked why NTU chose the clinic, he said it was NTU’s decision.
“They chose one centre probably to maintain consistency.”
By ALLEN WAITARA
USP JOURNALISM STUDENT
