Before they graduate, most Loyola students will pass through Student Health, whether it be for a simple cough or a more serious condition. Situated conveniently, the health clinic provides a number of quality services that not only help keep students healthy, but also ensure students are receiving the basic health care they require. However, Student Health – a service upon which students have come to depend – is becoming increasingly incapable of handling the demand, leaving many students displeased with the clinic.
Despite its range of services, some members of the Loyola community express general dissatisfaction with the program. It is difficult to secure appointments, and students are often turned away when the clinic reaches capacity. Since Student Health remains students’ main source of health examinations, this proves a serious problem to maintaining a healthy student population. As such, the university has a responsibility to ensure the situation is properly addressed.
The problems Student Health has been experiencing result mainly from understaffing. The clinic services thousands of Loyola students and faculty with only a handful of staff and a limited resource base. It is evident that, while the fault does not lie with the clinic’s employees, it is possible for some remedy to be enacted. While the current staff members provide quality treatment, it is evident that the current manpower is simply insufficient.
If the problems with Student Health are to be addressed, it is necessary for the university to devote more resources to the service. The program not only helps uphold the health of individuals, but it also places Loyola among the best in terms of genuinely caring for its students. Student Health is a key element of a fulfilled student life at Loyola, and the university must ensure that it is properly preserved. Our money must be better directed so that the clinic has sufficient funds, resources and staff to protect the health of the Loyola community and to address students’ basic medical needs.
