E-Paper
Delhi University demand Covid care centre in varsity
New Delhi: In light of the rise in coronavirus (Covid-19) disease cases in the Capital as well as the scarcity of hospital beds, teachers of the Delhi University
New Delhi: In light of the rise in coronavirus (Covid-19) disease cases in the Capital as well as the scarcity of hospital beds, teachers of the Delhi University (DU) have demanded that the varsity’s health centre be equipped with basic facilities to fight the pandemic. The demand comes closely on the heels of nine foreign students residing in a DU hostel testing positive for the coronavirus this week and the death of a senior professor of the varsity from the disease.
Wali Akhtar, the former head of DU’s Arabic department died Tuesday.
According to his colleagues, Akhtar was not able to avail healthcare facilities due to shortage of beds even though he had fever and a lung infection.
“At least seven hospitals denied him treatment when his family approached them, despite him exhibiting symptoms. After Al Shifa admitted him, we tried contacting various labs for testing but it took no less than two days. He died nearly two hours after his sample was taken,” said his colleague Zafeeruddin, who teaches at the department. “The university should upgrade its healthcare centre to help faculty. Members of the teachers’ association have assured that they will look into this,” he said.
His test reports came back Friday which showed he had Covid-19, the Al Shifa hospital confirmed.
Former academic council member Pankaj Garg, the convener of the teachers’ group Indian National Teachers Congress (INTEC), said he has written to DU vice chancellor Yogesh Tyagi on Friday asking him to take steps to help the DU community. “The university must create a 24-hour help centre at WUS Health Centre at the North Campus, along with a testing facility. We have also requested the VC to convert two guest houses at the North Campus to care centres for treatment of Covid-19 patients. Doctors and nurses employed at health centres can treat Covid-19 patients under the supervision of the Chief Medical Officer of the centre.”
Executive Council member Rajesh Jha had earlier this week expressed his concern over the same issue. In another letter to the vice chancellor, he asked the varsity to upgrade the healthcare facilities to meet the challenges of current times.
“We also requested the VC that some vacant staff quarters could be developed as quarantine centres for our employees as the sizes of many staff quarters make home quarantine only notional,” he said.
Despite repeated calls and messages, VC Tyagi did not comment on the matter.
“There are no sanitisation drives being carried out by the university in residential quarters and we have asked the varsity to take some steps to follow the standard operating procedures laid down by the health ministry in the matter,” Jha said, adding that four people from the exam branch building had also tested positive. A senior official from the examination branch, however, refuted the claim.
Currently, if any person with symptoms of coronavirus approaches the health centre, they are referred to other hospitals. A senior official at the health centre, requesting anonymity, said: “Our role is to provide primary healthcare and the health centre has been functional throughout. Comprehensive healthcare services are provided here and this is not a hospital. We apply our medical knowledge to the best of our efforts and if indicated, we refer people with symptoms to hospitals.”
