The University Health Centre at Lumami NU Campus after the students damaged the building. (Morung Photos)
Lumami, March 25 (MExN): Irate post-graduate students of NU, Lumami campus, destroyed the ‘University Health Centre’ at Lumami at around 9 PM on Thursday night. The students destroyed the beds, equipments, doors and windowpanes at the Health Centre, it is reported.
Students allege neglect; Kannan out of station again
The whole incident started after one student by the name of Khanglong Konyak (an M Sc Botany 1st semester student) drank a liquid chemical ‘Formalin’ at the university hostel – Threzaru-rü Hostel on Thursday night. He reportedly consumed the chemical by ‘mistake’ in the dark mistaking it for water. The chemical, it is said, was in a mineral water bottle. Soon after he consumed the chemical, his friends tried to administer first aid by giving a salt solution to cut off the effect of the chemical. It reportedly did not help.
The student’s friends took them to the ‘University Health Centre’ (earlier called MI Room) for medical help. However, it is said that there was no doctor or nurses at the health centre, the students said. It was only after sometime that a nurse came, looked at the patient, and was referred to Civil Hospital, Mokokchung. The students also alleged that the driver of the ambulance was drunk and the ambulance had to be driven by another driver.
The views as heard from the university employees and the PGSU are contrasting. The employees said that they tried their level best to help the patient and was referred to the Civil Hospital of Mokokchung. The students maintained that there was negligence on the part of the employees.
However, last night, it is learned that the students got incensed and started pelting stones at the health centre. Security personnel at the university came to the spot and tried to control the situation. However, the health centre was ultimately vandalized. Broken doors, windowpanes, overturned beds chairs and damaged equipments are the remains of the university health centre now.
An official at the health centre estimated the cost of the property damaged at around 3 crores given the fact that the students damaged the “German imported ultra sound” machine, auto analyzer and other sophisticated equipments.
The employees asserted that the timing at the health centre is from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and that the incident happened quite late at night. Despite that, a nurse at the campus arrived at the scene and tried her level best to help the patient. It is learned that there is one doctor and two nurses and one pharmacist for the health centre.
PGSU (L) officials maintained that the VC on September 2010 had assured to provide twenty-four hour medical service to the students. This apparently had not been fulfilled.
“This is just the beginning,” a PGSU (L) official said.
However, NU officials expressed their shock over the action of the students. They said that “even in times of war, doctors, nurses and hospitals are not touched” and that the act of the students in vandalizing the health centre is an act, which goes in contravention of humanitarian beliefs.
“It (the vandalism) is an insult to the profession,” said an employee.
Officials disclosed that they are going to file an FIR at the Akuluto Police Station against the vandalism. The officials (who requested not to be named) said that the act of the students is unjustified in vandalizing the centre. Formalin is a chemical that is used in embalming dead bodies and it falls under the category of ‘poison’. The employees wondered how the chemical could be found in the hostel; besides they asserted that this is a clear case of poisoning and that every case of poisoning has to be reported to the nearest police station by law.
The issue is still unresolved, and it is learned that the vice chancellor is not at station. Whatever the case might be, the only health centre at Lumami, which caters to hundreds of students, and also neighboring village remains vandalized and it is still unclear when it will be restored. Now, the nearest health care that a border at the Lumami campus has to go will be the Mokokchung Civil hospital, nearly a one-hour drive from the campus.
The Vice Chancellor was out of station when the incident occurred. On being contacted, he said that he would not like to comment. “This is a law and order problem. It will be tackled by the police,” Kannan said. Nevertheless, he said that such acts will not be tolerated by the university, adding: “I am tired of all this.” The VC has also informed that a committee will be constituted by the university to look into the matter. He also said that the doctor is a very sincere staff of the university and that it is unfair for anyone to blame her for the incident. The doctor in question lives in Mokokchung.
Students allege neglect; Kannan out of station again
The whole incident started after one student by the name of Khanglong Konyak (an M Sc Botany 1st semester student) drank a liquid chemical ‘Formalin’ at the university hostel – Threzaru-rü Hostel on Thursday night. He reportedly consumed the chemical by ‘mistake’ in the dark mistaking it for water. The chemical, it is said, was in a mineral water bottle. Soon after he consumed the chemical, his friends tried to administer first aid by giving a salt solution to cut off the effect of the chemical. It reportedly did not help.
The student’s friends took them to the ‘University Health Centre’ (earlier called MI Room) for medical help. However, it is said that there was no doctor or nurses at the health centre, the students said. It was only after sometime that a nurse came, looked at the patient, and was referred to Civil Hospital, Mokokchung. The students also alleged that the driver of the ambulance was drunk and the ambulance had to be driven by another driver.
The views as heard from the university employees and the PGSU are contrasting. The employees said that they tried their level best to help the patient and was referred to the Civil Hospital of Mokokchung. The students maintained that there was negligence on the part of the employees.
However, last night, it is learned that the students got incensed and started pelting stones at the health centre. Security personnel at the university came to the spot and tried to control the situation. However, the health centre was ultimately vandalized. Broken doors, windowpanes, overturned beds chairs and damaged equipments are the remains of the university health centre now.
An official at the health centre estimated the cost of the property damaged at around 3 crores given the fact that the students damaged the “German imported ultra sound” machine, auto analyzer and other sophisticated equipments.
The employees asserted that the timing at the health centre is from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and that the incident happened quite late at night. Despite that, a nurse at the campus arrived at the scene and tried her level best to help the patient. It is learned that there is one doctor and two nurses and one pharmacist for the health centre.
PGSU (L) officials maintained that the VC on September 2010 had assured to provide twenty-four hour medical service to the students. This apparently had not been fulfilled.
“This is just the beginning,” a PGSU (L) official said.
However, NU officials expressed their shock over the action of the students. They said that “even in times of war, doctors, nurses and hospitals are not touched” and that the act of the students in vandalizing the health centre is an act, which goes in contravention of humanitarian beliefs.
“It (the vandalism) is an insult to the profession,” said an employee.
Officials disclosed that they are going to file an FIR at the Akuluto Police Station against the vandalism. The officials (who requested not to be named) said that the act of the students is unjustified in vandalizing the centre. Formalin is a chemical that is used in embalming dead bodies and it falls under the category of ‘poison’. The employees wondered how the chemical could be found in the hostel; besides they asserted that this is a clear case of poisoning and that every case of poisoning has to be reported to the nearest police station by law.
The issue is still unresolved, and it is learned that the vice chancellor is not at station. Whatever the case might be, the only health centre at Lumami, which caters to hundreds of students, and also neighboring village remains vandalized and it is still unclear when it will be restored. Now, the nearest health care that a border at the Lumami campus has to go will be the Mokokchung Civil hospital, nearly a one-hour drive from the campus.
The Vice Chancellor was out of station when the incident occurred. On being contacted, he said that he would not like to comment. “This is a law and order problem. It will be tackled by the police,” Kannan said. Nevertheless, he said that such acts will not be tolerated by the university, adding: “I am tired of all this.” The VC has also informed that a committee will be constituted by the university to look into the matter. He also said that the doctor is a very sincere staff of the university and that it is unfair for anyone to blame her for the incident. The doctor in question lives in Mokokchung.
