DU students still vulnerable to hepatitis

That is cause for concern, since hepatitis, at least two types of it, is a potentially killer disease, the debilitating effect of which persists for a long time after the patients recover. The high number of students suffering from jaundice does indicate that something is going terribly wrong when it comes to supply of safe food and water in the halls. Similarly, it has to be seen whether the students are exposed to the risk of contaminated blood transfusion, or lack of safety standards at the university medical centre.

The problem has been brought to the notice of the university authorities and they have claimed that some steps have been taken to stop the spread of the disease. Obviously, the steps must conform to the methods prescribed by the doctors for managing jaundice. The problem here is that students have to live in extremely unhygienic conditions at the halls where everything, from the toilet to the kitchen, is maintained without the slightest regard for hygiene standards. The hall authorities seem to be under the impression that their duty ends with arranging boiled water for the resident students. They are surely not viewing the problem in its totality. The precise cause behind the spread of the disease has to be ascertained and remedial measures adopted to keep the situation under control.

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The students have complained that they are still not getting the services needed during an outbreak of jaundice. Most of them are scared, as at least one student has already died and many are bedridden. The DU authorities should seek help from government hospitals and other specialised institutions to get at the bottom of the problem. They must act quickly enough to make sure that many more students do not fall sick. Simultaneously, no slack in the treatment of the ailing should be brooked.