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JNU students demand medical care

Staff Reporter

Aishvarya’s death revives demand for ambulances on the JNU campus

NEW DELHI: Aishvarya Agrawal, a first year M.Tech. student of the School of Information Technology at Jawaharlal Nehru University here, succumbed to an asthma attack on Wednesday night. In the absence of a round-the-clock health centre on the JNU campus, the 23-year-old had to be rushed to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in a makeshift ambulance with no equipment and no paramedics.

Aishvarya’s tragic end has revived a longstanding demand for a 24-hour doctor on duty and well-equipped ambulances on the JNU campus. “A Maruti van doubles up as an ambulance and there is another slightly bigger vehicle that is also used to ferry the unwell, but both these are not equipped with even the bare minimum. On Wednesday night when Aishvarya suffered an attack at 10:30 p.m., the health centre was closed. He had to be taken to AIIMS in a van that did not even have an oxygen cylinder. He breathed his last during the journey and was declared brought dead at the hospital,” said Vikram Singh, a fellow student, on Friday.

Aggrieved by Aishvarya’s death, the students have petitioned the University authorities to ensure 24x7 emergency facilities, an on-duty doctor at the health centre, and well-equipped ambulances with on-duty paramedic staff.

“The health centre closes at 9 p.m. We need a full-fledged health centre where the students and the residents of the campus can get immediate medical attention,” said Vikram Singh.

“In common medical emergencies students are frequently referred to AIIMS, which is a 30-minute drive even in the best of traffic conditions. Thirty minutes is a lot of time for a medical condition to complicate beyond control. Is it too much to ask for a five-bed hospital on the JNU campus which can cater to emergency medical problems of students?” he asked.

The University for its part has sought a report from the Chief Medical Officer posted at the health centre and the Rectors.

“I have asked the Rectors and the Registrar and the CMO to submit a detailed report on the incident. I am yet to officially know what happened, and once I have that report I will be in a position to take up the issue with the authorities concerned,” said JNU Vice-Chancellor B.B. Bhattacharya.

Pointing out that the University needs approval from the University Grants Commission, Prof. Bhattacharya said: “As of now we do not have the funds and the requisite permission from the UGC to engage a full-time doctor or upgrade the ambulances.”

Meanwhile, the students have decided to protest peacefully.

“We have decided that till the time the University accepts these demands and makes provision for these essential services we will continue to light a candle near the health centre everyday,” said Vikram Singh.

Aishvarya, a resident of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, had joined JNU last month. “He had rejected offers from institutes like IIIT-Allahabad and IIIT-Hyderabad. He was an extremely bright student scoring 95 per cent marks in B.Tech. from Allahabad Agriculture (Deemed) University,” said Vikram Singh.

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