JNU seeks financial support from alumni for COVID health centre on campus

NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Wednesday said it plans to set up a COVID health centre on campus and has sought financial support from its alumni for it.

Noting that the university and its residents have been adversely affected by the pandemic, Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said the alumni should be a part of JNU's endeavours to provide safety and security to all stakeholders, particularly the students. "Your contribution to JNU in any form, one day's salary or larger amounts, will make a difference in helping us fight this pandemic. Alumni are also welcome to donate oxygen concentrators. Donating masks, oxymeters, sanitisers and digital thermometers will help us in equipping our frontline workers," he said.

The JNU administration has recently constituted a COVID Response Team, which has been making all possible efforts to provide support to the affected residents and contain the spread of this pandemic on the campus, Kumar said. "However, there is a need to boost its existing infrastructure to meet the increased demand on campus. Therefore, JNU plans to upgrade the current infrastructure of our health centre and develop a well-equipped COVID health centre, which requires considerable financial support," he said.

In its executive council meeting held in February, the university had endorsed the creation of a "JNU Alumni Endowment Fund". Around the world, higher educational institutions benefit a great deal from contributions received from their alumni, he said. "As scientists have warned that this pandemic is going to continue for some time to come, there is an urgent need to upgrade the existing health infrastructure of the campus," Kumar said.

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