Covid claims several AMU teachers, sends shockwaves on univ campus
AGRA: Grief is palpable on the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus after the death of 18 serving faculty members within 20 to 25 days; 15 of the fatalities were due to Covid-19 related reasons, according to a university official.
The deaths have prompted a former students’ union president of the university to demand a probe by a retired judge or CBI amid allegations of medical negligence, which have been denied by the university’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College that says there are various factors for deterioration of health in cases of Covid-19 and they include diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
In addition, 25 retired teaching faculty, 10 staff members and two schoolteachers from AMU have died, people familiar with the development said. Details of the cause of death of the retired teaching faculty were not available.“In all, 18 serving faculty members have died, out of whom 15 died because of Covid related reasons. The cause of three other deaths was nonCovid. There are more deaths, which include retired faculty members and staff at Aligarh Muslim University,” said Dr Rahat Abrar, the public relations officer of AMU.
“These deaths have taken place in the last 20 to 25 days. Concerned by this, the vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has written to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for genome sequencing of the virus active on the campus,” Dr Abrar said.
On Sunday, AMU vice chancellor Tariq Mansoor wrote a letter to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director general Prof Balram Bhargava, urging for a study to find out if a particular coronavirus variant was circulating around the Civil Lines area of Aligarh, in which AMU and many adjoining localities are situated.
“Two among the serving faculty members who died because of Covid-19 —Professor Qazi Mohammad Jamshed (who taught political science in the Women’s College) and associate professor Iqbal Qasim (physics department) — were residing in the medical colony within the AMU campus,” the university spokesperson said. The other serving faculty members resided in areas adjoining the sprawling AMU campus, including localities like Sir Syed Colony, Shamshad Market, Dhourra, Mariss Road, Dodhpur, Jamalpuura within or close to the Civil Lines area of Aligarh.
Eleven serving teachers of AMU died because of Covid-19 in Aligarh itself. They include Prof Maula Baksh Ansari (department of Urdu), Prof Mohd Ali Khan (post harvest engineering),
Prof Qazi Mohd Jamshed (political science at Women’s College), Prof Khalid Bin Yasuf Khan (Sanskrit), Dr Aziz Faizal (Centre for Women Studies), Dr Jibraeil (history), Dr Mohammad Yusuf Ansari (English), Dr Mohd Furqan Sambhali (Urdu at Women’s College), Prof Shadab Ahmad Khan (medicine), Prof Rafiqul Zaman Khan (computer science) and Prof Mohammad Shakeel Ahmad (Law).
Four others passed elsewhere away due to Covid-19 complications. Prof Gufran Ahmad (Ilmul Advia or Unani pharmacology ) died in Lucknow, Prof Kr Sajid Ali Khan (psychology) and Dr Mohammad Irfan (Museology) passed away in New Delhi and Dr Mohammad Yusuf Sayeduzzamam (University of Polytechnic Boys) breathed his last in Meerut.
Prof Jamshed Siddiqui (department of computer science) passed away because of brain tuberculosis in Aligarh, Prof Mohammad Yunus Siddiqui (Moalejat or Unani medicine) died because of liver disease in Delhi and Prof Ehsanullah Khan (Sunni Theology) succumbed to pneumonia in Aligarh.The Jawaharlal
Nehru Medical College (JNMC) is affiliated to AMU and situated on the university campus. The head of the medicine department at JNMC, Prof Shadab Ahmad Khan, is among 18 serving faculty members of AMU who died.
Denying allegations of medical negligence, medical college principal Prof Shahid Ali Siddiqi said Covid-19 was playing havoc all over the nation and the medical college at AMU was no exception.
“There are various factors for deteriorating cases of Covid-19 and (they) include diabetes, hypertension and obesity,” said
Dr Siddiqui. Faizul Hasan, the former president of AMU Students’ Union, reiterated his demand for a high-level inquiry. He claimed that at least 45 serving professors, 15 to 16 retired faculty members and more than 50 employees died within a period of 20 to 25 days.
“I demand a high-level inquiry by a retired judge or the CBI,” he said. “We were not informed about the deaths of faculty members at AMU,” said Aligarh district magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh. Aligarh CMO Bhanu Pratap Kalyani said that he came to know through newspaper reports.