Optometry Students Association at AIIMS on relay hunger strike after student death

NEW DELHI: The Optometry Students Association at AIIMS have begun a relay hunger strike over a first-year student succumbing to Covid and swine flu, alleging he was "denied" an ambulance by the authorities which led to his death. Abhishek Malviya, the first-year optometry student, died on August 13. The same day, members of the association sat on strike, claiming Malviya was not provided an ambulance since he was not a hostel resident.

They also alleged the AIIMS authorities were not providing hostel accommodation to paramedical students. Malviya, who had breathing issues, was “denied” an ambulance as he did not live on the hostel campus. Due to this, it took two to three hours for him to reach the AIIMS emergency department where his condition was declared “critical” and later placed on ECMO after his lung function collapsed. He was declared dead on August 13, the Optometry Students Association claimed in a statement. "Had there been a hostel, he would have survived," it added.

The AIIMS administration said that there has been a progressive increase in the number of students at AIIMS, New Delhi, and there is a severe shortage of hostels for all students. "Students of BSc paramedical courses are not provided hostels at AIIMS since 2020. This is written in the prospectus for these courses and all students are fully aware of this provision at the time of applying for admission. This is also the case for many other institutions and other AIIMS.

Also Read| ‘Like addressing a mob’: Faculty shortage in medical colleges is hampering training of doctors

"This has been communicated to the students on many occasions through past meetings and their representations have also been forwarded to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. There is provision for expansion of hostels for all students in the AIIMS masterplan," the hospital said in a statement. According to it, students were invited to send their representatives to talk to the director but they refused. Thereafter, the dean, associate dean and deputy hostel superintendent met the agitating students to understand their grievances. The director had also met the students and assured them that their grievances would be looked into.