Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 10: Students and staff at Government Medical College (GMC) Baramulla today raised serious concerns over the poor state of basic amenities on campus.
While seeking immediate action, they pointed to recurring problems with drinking water, sanitation, and overcrowded hostels.
In the boys’ hostel, students said they had to rely on bottled water for nearly two months after the hostel purifier broke down. The fault, they said, was rectified only recently.
“Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental requirement. For weeks, we were left to manage on our own and forced to spend money every day,” a hostel resident, requesting not to be named, said.
Students added that the problem was not limited to hostels.
They noted that no water purifiers have been installed in academic or administrative blocks, including the library and laboratories, where they spend most of their time.
It is to be noted here that the concerns come at a time when the National Medical Commission (NMC) has cleared an additional 50 MBBS seats for GMC Baramulla, raising the intake to 150.
Students fear the existing infrastructure is already under strain and measures must be taken to address the same.
“In rooms barely 10 feet by 10 feet, three students are being accommodated. With the intake increasing, the situation will only get worse,” said another student.
The students also raised sanitation as another major issue, adding to their hardships.
Students reported foul odour from blocked drains have, they said, made the hostel mess difficult to use, while washrooms are often in an unhygienic state.
“One can hardly step into the hostel washrooms. Outside the cafeteria, drainage has been clogged for months without any effort to clear it,” students said.
Apart from students, staff members also voiced grievances.
Female employees working in the administrative block said they have been left without access to a functional washroom.
“The only usable washroom in our block has been locked by security staff. This causes severe inconvenience for us every day,” said a female staff member.
The Principal of GMC did not respond to calls from this reporter to confirm whether he was aware of the matter or if any measures were being taken.
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