COVID-19 positive JNU students isolated 'without proper care': AISA

NEW DELHI: The All India Students' Association on Wednesday alleged that the Jawaharlal Nehru University administration has put COVID-infected students at an isolation centre "without proper care". The students association alleged in a statement that there was nobody to check on the students at the centre.

"JNU students who have tested positive are being taken to an isolation centre in Sultanpuri. It is basically a DDA flat, with one or two students staying in each flat. There is no regular check-up of the students to measure their vitals and oxygen levels. Two JNU students told us that even when they faced breathing problem, there was no one to take care of them," it said. It said there was "no provision of supply of hot water for drinking or for taking steam, both of which are extremely important to recover". "The quality of food is deteriorating with each passing day. The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has forced students to stay isolated without proper care," the All India Students' Association (AISA) said.

It also suggested that the university could have used Aravali guest house, vacant staff quarters, vacant dormitories, and the Gomti guest house in Connaught Place as the isolation facilities. It also demanded free vaccination of all JNU students from May 1 and for the administration to bear the medical cost of any student suffering from COVID-19. AISA also demanded to extend the semester and criticised the university for continuing online classes.

"We cannot forget that even at this time, online classes are going, and students are being forced into submitting their assignments and giving their end semester exams. Multiple students have contacted us saying that either they or their family members have fallen prey to the virus and therefore, they are in no condition to complete their course requirements within time," it said.

Delhi logged 24,638 fresh COVID-19 cases and 249 deaths due to the viral disease on Wednesday while the positivity rate stood at 31.28 per cent, meaning almost every third sample tested positive, amid a growing clamour for oxygen and hospital beds in the city.

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