The COVID-19 scare seems to have gripped University of Hyderabad (UoH).
Apart from developing communication material such as pamphlets and posters and public service announcement (PSAs) on precautions to be taken, the varsity administration is also trying to identify faculty members and students with a travel history to coronavirus-affected countries or are showing symptoms of the infectious disease.
Students, too, are helping spread awareness by designing posters on the precautionary steps.
The measures are important as nearly 500 faculty members, 5,500 students pursuing PhD, masters and integrated courses, 1,000 non-teaching staff and their family members live in hostels and quarters spread across the 1,700-acre campus in Gachibowli.
“We are looking at a community of over 10,000 population, including a floating population of contract workers,” said Vinod Pavarala, official spokesperson of UoH. The students live in 23 hostels, use common bathrooms and sinks. They have three meals a day at the mess and canteens.
While faculty members travel to other countries on teaching assignment or for research work, students go abroad to attend conferences or as part of student exchange programmes.
If any faculty member has to travel abroad for official or academic purpose, they have to seek a no-objection certificate (NoC) from the university administration. If students are to go out of the country, clearance from their course supervisors has been made mandatory
After COVID cases were detected in India, a committee comprising four officials from the UoH administration and health centre was formed on March 3 to focus on precautionary measures. The committee members are getting the list of NoCs and clearance certificates, which will help them identify those who visited any of the affected countries, and have any symptoms.
Committee member Vasuki Belavad said they have recorded PSAs in Telugu and Hindi to disseminate information among non-faculty members living on campus.
“The PSAs will be broadcast on campus community radio. Besides, the audio files will be circulated on WhatsApp and other social media platforms,” Mr Vasuki said, adding that a special page which has information on coronavirus is part of the UoH’s web page.
Other measures includes directing food handlers at the mess and canteens to wear masks while at work. The UoH health centre is in contact with Gandhi Hospital’s administration.
Second lab at OGH
The Central government has approved a second laboratory in Telangana to test samples for coronavirus, announced Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Tuesday. The existing lab at Osmania General Hospital will be used for the purpose.
Currently, samples collected in State are tested at Venereal Disease Research Laboratory lab in Gandhi Hospital. Reagents will be procured from National Institute of Virology, Pune.
Report submitted
The 12-member Telangana team, which returned from Kerala on Sunday after studying how COVID-19 was contained and managed there, has submitted its report. They had visited General Hospital and Medical College in Trivandrum and spoke to Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja. The team noted 15 committees were formed at State and district levels to contain the virus.
Key teams among them were that of surveillance, call centre management, infrastructure (isolation and facilities) and documentation. Isolation wards were established in Primary Health Centres (PHC) in Kerala.
Mr Rajender said since the virus has not spread here, isolation wards at PHCs are not required, but they have been arranged at district hospitals.
