Bhubaneswar: SCB Medical College and Hospital nurses in Odisha staged a dharna on Monday and demanded reopening of the nursing college and hostel which are now being used for COVID-19 vaccination centre and isolation ward.
The students forcefully entered the hostel after their demands were not met. They alleged that they had to vacate their hostel rooms in March 2020, and since then, they have been studying online, reported EdexLive.
Over 50 per cent of the 300 BSc nursing students come from rural areas where internet connectivity is a major issue. So, online classes provided to them didn’t help, they said.
“While the nursing colleges in other institutions like MKCG and VIMSAR have reopened since last two months, we are deprived of attending regular classes and clinical training,” they complained.
According to SCB nurses’ association vice-president Lopita Sahoo, despite the academic block of the college was handed over for resuming academic activities on December 23, the authorities are using the building as COVID vaccination centre.
“We requested the students to wait for seven days. However, they did not respond and forcibly entered the hostel. At present, 32 doctors are staying in the quarantine centre set up on the ground floor of the six-storied nursing hostel building. We have already made an alternative arrangement at Barabati guest house for quarantining doctors on COVID duty,” SCB Superintendent Prof Lucy Das was quoted as saying by EdexLive.
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