Undergraduate students seek exemption from ward duties

‘Suspected cases being treated in isolated ward’

Undergraduate students of Government Medical College, Kozhikode, have urged the authorities to exempt them from ward duties at the hospital in the wake of the death of two persons due to Nipah virus infection and one suspected death on Monday.

Leaders of students’ union and Students’ Federation of India met Principal V.R. Rajendran on Tuesday and expressed concern about attending duties without sufficient precautionary measures. They claimed that any chance of infection would have a damaging effect on the students who were staying together in large numbers at the hostel.

However, the Principal reportedly told them that all the suspected cases were being treated in an isolated ward now. Entry to the casualty ward is allowed only for those with protection gears such as gloves and facial masks. The authorities are on alert to avoid eventualities too.

If all the students are granted leave

en masse , it will create a wrong impression as they are supposed to handle such emergency cases as part of their profession. If required, they can be exempted from the infectious disease ward, the students were told. It is learnt that a training session has been planned at the medical college on Tuesday for them.