The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Stanley College hostel blocks to be reconstructed

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Thursday, Sep 27, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Stanley College hostel blocks to be reconstructed

Special Correspondent

Health Minister holds discussions with PWD officials

CHENNAI: Four hostel blocks of Stanley Medical College will be demolished and reconstructed. In the interim, repairs and cleaning up will be initiated on all medical college campuses, Health Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said here on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on the recent issue, where 18 medicos of Stanley Medical College staying within the campus were hospitalised, he said while the condition of one of the students, Karima Pradhan, a native of Uttar Pradesh, continued to remain comatose, the others had recovered well and would be discharged in the next couple of days. It is suspected that Karima is suffering from viral encephalitis (an airborne infection) and investigations are being continued to determine the nature of her illness.

Karima was admitted to Stanley hospital for suspected urinary infection, headache and fever on September 21. Her parents who have reached Chennai to take care of their daughter said she had a history of frequent urinary infections. The next day, she lost consciousness and on her family’s request was shifted to Apollo Hospital. Subsequently 17 other students of Stanley Medical College fell ill and had to be admitted to the government hospital.

Two other students who were admitted to Apollo Hospital had also recovered. One of them, Durgesh Prasad, belonging to Mumbai was discharged on Wednesday evening. Anusha Banerjee of Kolkata would be discharged on Thursday. Apart from Karima, all students are suffering from viral infections, Mythili Bhaskaran, Dean, Stanley Hospital, said.

Mr. Ramachandran inspected the Stanley hostel blocks.

He also held discussions with the Public Works Department to make necessary repairs to the hostels for housing the students temporarily until the new blocks were built.

First year students have been given a week’s leave, he added.

About Rs.25 crore would be spent on rebuilding some hostel blocks, the mess and the library, from a sum of Rs.100 crore allotted for Stanley Medical College and Hospital. In addition, as a precautionary measure, students of all three medical colleges in Chennai have been given preventive antibiotics, Health Secretary V. K. Subburaj said.

“Prepare status report”

The Pattali Makkal Katchi on Wednesday called upon the State Government to prepare a status report on the condition of students’ hostel at the Stanley Medical College.

Responding to reports of some students of the college falling ill, party founder S. Ramadoss said they would create an impression among the public against government hospitals. Over the years, the facilities in the hospitals had deteriorated.

The government should ascertain the reasons for the deterioration and take remedial measures at the earliest.

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