Coronavirus: BHU asks students to stay inside hostels, avoid crowded places

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Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has issued a series of guidelines for its students, teachers and patients visiting an affiliated hospital to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the campus.HIGHLIGHTS

• BHU vice-chancellor Prof Rakesh Bhatnagar held a high-level meeting on Sunday
• He appealed to students to live in their respective hostels and avoid visiting crowded places
• BHU administration said patients and their families visiting Sir Sundar Lal Hospital for non-essential medical procedures should avoid them for a few days if possible.

BHU vice-chancellor Prof Rakesh Bhatnagar held a high-level meeting on Sunday in the university to review preparations at the Sir Sunderlal Hospital (SSH) under the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (IMS-BHU), to keep coronavirus away.

“I appeal to all the deans and directors of the institutes to ensure that there is sufficient awareness among all the students, teachers and staff members about prevention of coronavirus infection,” Bhatnagar said.

The vice-chancellor appealed to students to live in their respective hostels and avoid visiting crowded places as far as possible.

He instructed officials to ensure that the awareness about the preventive measures is being spread through posters and messages among students. He also asked them to take extra care of cleanliness in the mess of all hostels and avoid people from crowding them.

The university administration also asked people not to create unnecessary crowd at Sir Sundar Lal Hospital and Vishwanath Temple in the campus. It has appealed to patients and their families to visit the hospital only if it is very necessary.

BHU administration said patients and their families visiting Sir Sundar Lal Hospital for non-essential check-up, medical procedure, operation, and consultation should avoid them for a few days if possible.

This would avoid unnecessary crowding and help reduce the threat of infection and administration and staff would perform their duties smoothly, it said.

Bhatnagar said special arrangements have been made at the hospital for testing of coronavirus cases. People with symptoms like fever, coughing or history of travel to any of the Covid-19 affected countries may meet doctors at OPD room number 103 by getting a registration slip and need not get into a queue.

A testing facility is available round the clock every day at SSH. There are six isolation wards, including two for suspected cases of coronavirus, in the hospital.

Bhatnagar said a team of doctors is fully ready for testing and treatment of coronavirus cases. Doctors and paramedical staff have been instructed to take full precautions.

Uttar Pradesh has reported 12 cases of coronavirus, including a foreigner, so far and four have been cured or discharged from hospitals. Thirteen people suspected of coronavirus have tested negative in Varanasi so far and the result of three are awaited.

The state government has ordered all educational institutes to close and prohibited large gatherings.