Nursing students of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Odisha on Monday staged a dharna demanding reopening of the nursing college and hostel which are now being used for Covid-19 vaccination centre and isolation ward. They also forcibly entered the hostel after their demands were not met. The students alleged that they had to vacate their hostel following closure of the college in March 2020. Since then, they have been studying online.
However, online classes were not effective as 50 per cent of the 300 BSc nursing students belong to rural areas where there is poor or no internet connectivity, 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. Though the academic block of the college was handed over for resuming academic activities on December 23, the authorities are utilising the building as Covid vaccination centre, said Lopita Sahoo, vice-president of SCB nurses' association. SCB Superintendent Prof Lucy Das said, "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," she added.