ANM students protest lack of facilities

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 27

High drama prevailed on the Civil Hospital premises here today when students of Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery College staged a protest outside the office of the Civil Surgeon against lack of facilities at the college hostel.

The matter was sorted out after the intervention by the assistant civil surgeon Dr SK Rajkumar and college principal Prabhjot Kaur.

Raising slogans against the hospital and college authorities, the female students argued that they had been facing acute water shortage at the college hostel since Thursday but the college authorities had not solved their problem despite bringing it to their notice several times.

“Since Thursday, all 32 occupants of the hostel are facing shortage of water. There is not even a drop of water to drink or to be used for other purposes. We brought it to the attention of the principal, who said we were raising a hue and cry over nothing. The Rs 1,500 mess charges that we pay every month include charges for water as well. Even the day-scholars are charged Rs 21 per month as water charges,” the protesting students said.

They added that the college authorities had disallowed use of mobile phones on the college campus and had only one landline phone for the students.

“On the landline too, they have barred outgoing calls. We can only receive calls and that too only on Sundays. Sometimes the landline phone, installed at the office of the college principal, is locked and can’t be used to receive calls. We cannot go home unless someone comes to pick us up,” the students said.

They added that there were only two cooks for the 32 hostellers and when they are on leave, the students are left with no option but to cook food on their own.

They alleged that they were also threatened by the college authorities that in case they staged a protest, the college and hostel would be locked from inside and they would not be allowed to enter the college.

The college authorities indeed locked the gate from inside aiming to keep the students outside the premises till the time they staged protest.

In retaliation, the students locked the gate of the building from outside.

Agitated, the students refused to calm down even after attempts of convincing them by the college principal. It was only after the assistant civil surgeon’s word that the students ended their protest. 

Authorities refute allegations

Talking to Bathinda Tribune, Dr SK Rajkumar said, “We agree that there was water shortage on the college and hostel campus. We had called a technician but he couldn’t repair the motor the same day as he couldn’t procure some spare parts. It was repaired today. Their other demands are baseless and are aimed at breaking the rules of the college.”

He said the students demanded that they be allowed to go outside the hospital premises and even to their homes on their own. 

“At the time of admission, we had made it clear that every student has to submit photographs and names of four relatives with whom they can be allowed to go home. The lists of relatives were also approved by the family members. We can’t allow them to go out of the hospital premises with anyone else,” he said. 

He also cleared that the students had been allowed to use the landline to speak to their family members for a maximum of five minutes every Sunday and if they followed the rule, all students would get turn to speak to their family members. 

“We have to be strict with them as sometimes, many students speak for almost an hour while other students wait in a queue,” he said.