‘Around 30% of DDU staff battling Covid’

LUCKNOW: The teachers and employees of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya University (DDU), Gorakhpur are battling the Covid pandemic with the start of the second wave.

The president of Gorakhpur University Teachers Association, Professor Vinod Singh said, around 30% of the university faculty, their family members as well as non-teaching staff have been infected with Covid-19.

A fortnight back, an assistant professor in economics department Sharad Chandra Srivastava lost battle to Covid. The family members of some teachers have also died, he said.

The Teachers Association has shot off a letter to the vicechancellor requesting him to defer all the activities on the campus till the spread of coronavirus is controlled.

“We have also urged the university administration to start the vaccination of all the teaching and non-teaching staff on the campus in coordination with the district administration.

The vaccination, quick sample test and timely treatment will save the precious life of the faculty members fighting the Covid pandemic,” said Singh.

The president of the Gorakhur University Employees Union, Nirbhay Singh, who along with four other family members, was infected said, “As many as 25 employees are undergoing treatment in the home isolation or in the hospital.

The sample test report takes time. The university administration should ensure that infected employees get sample test report within 24 hours. It will save the life of the employees as well as their family members,” he said.

Effort to contact the vicechancellor and other administrative staff of the university failed to elicit a response.