Hostel ‘cold’ in wintry winter
Saturday, 02 February 2013
ISLAMABAD: The hostel for College of Medical Laboratory Technology lacks even the basic facilities, causing severe hardships to around 150 students, who are facing problems like the poor condition of washrooms and drinking water. The students are not provided with heaters or proper heating system in the winter season, while some rooms don’t even have electricity, The Spokesman has learned.
It has also been revealed that some employees of various departments are also residing in the hostel. The condition of washrooms is worst as many of them are without door locks and the students are relying on bricks and other stuff to keep them shut. A student told The Spokesman that majority of the five to six bathrooms were in condition to be used. Similar is the case with the female students as they were to be given a separate building for their hostel. But it was allotted to the students of Federal Dental and Medical College - an institute located in the same vicinity – because of their low strength. However, the situation worsened further when 15 to 20 girls were adjusted in a B-Type house in the residential area of the National Institute of Health (NIH). A student of CMLT, who did not want to be named, said the room he was living in had no heating system due to which he developed a chest infection in the severe cold weather and had to visit a doctor four to five times for treatment.
When contacted, Dr Mumtaz, the chief warden of CMLT hostels, expressed his satisfaction over the situation. “The students are paying Rs 500 as monthly fee and availing enough facilities according to this amount.”
When asked about the heating system, he revealed that two students had died due to suffocation a few years ago after which gas heaters were banned in the hostel rooms. “The students in our hostel must cover themselves with warm clothes and blankets. I believe they will not die of cold but we cannot allow them to have gas heaters in rooms because we already lost two lives; therefore, we cannot take more risk,” he further added. Dr Mumtaz admitted that currently, an employee of TB Control Programme was residing in the student’s hostel and he had two weeks time to shift to somewhere else. “After getting permission from our Assistant Director Saqlain Gilani, we had given him time till the upcoming Monday after which he will leave the hostel.”
He said a subedar (a non-commissioned army officer) was also using a room, which was illegal but he had been allowed to stay for the security of hostel. Regarding the issue of girls’ hostel, Dr Mumtaz stated that the house used for the purpose was enough for them as the number of girls fluctuated from time to time and everything was okay for them. When contacted, Dr Muhammad Hussain, the CMLT principle, showed his complete ignorance about the affairs and referred the correspondent to contact the hostel warden.
It has also been revealed that some employees of various departments are also residing in the hostel. The condition of washrooms is worst as many of them are without door locks and the students are relying on bricks and other stuff to keep them shut. A student told The Spokesman that majority of the five to six bathrooms were in condition to be used. Similar is the case with the female students as they were to be given a separate building for their hostel. But it was allotted to the students of Federal Dental and Medical College - an institute located in the same vicinity – because of their low strength. However, the situation worsened further when 15 to 20 girls were adjusted in a B-Type house in the residential area of the National Institute of Health (NIH). A student of CMLT, who did not want to be named, said the room he was living in had no heating system due to which he developed a chest infection in the severe cold weather and had to visit a doctor four to five times for treatment.
When contacted, Dr Mumtaz, the chief warden of CMLT hostels, expressed his satisfaction over the situation. “The students are paying Rs 500 as monthly fee and availing enough facilities according to this amount.”
When asked about the heating system, he revealed that two students had died due to suffocation a few years ago after which gas heaters were banned in the hostel rooms. “The students in our hostel must cover themselves with warm clothes and blankets. I believe they will not die of cold but we cannot allow them to have gas heaters in rooms because we already lost two lives; therefore, we cannot take more risk,” he further added. Dr Mumtaz admitted that currently, an employee of TB Control Programme was residing in the student’s hostel and he had two weeks time to shift to somewhere else. “After getting permission from our Assistant Director Saqlain Gilani, we had given him time till the upcoming Monday after which he will leave the hostel.”
He said a subedar (a non-commissioned army officer) was also using a room, which was illegal but he had been allowed to stay for the security of hostel. Regarding the issue of girls’ hostel, Dr Mumtaz stated that the house used for the purpose was enough for them as the number of girls fluctuated from time to time and everything was okay for them. When contacted, Dr Muhammad Hussain, the CMLT principle, showed his complete ignorance about the affairs and referred the correspondent to contact the hostel warden.
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