Arunachal: Govt nursing college and GNM students cries for stipend
Why are nursing students made to continue offline classes in covid situation?
PASIGHAT ( By Maksam Tayeng )- The students of government Nursing College Pasighat along with other nursing students of across the state are pleading the state government to release their pending stipend for the session 2020-21 which hasn’t been released yet despite other students of schools and colleges of the state have already been paid.
While stating about their grievances on Friday, the students of government nursing college, Pasighat who are still attending normal offline classes in the classrooms despite the entire state in high alert due to growing second wave covid cases, resented over the delay in release of their pending stipends. Students from B.Sc Nursing and GNM, government college of nursing, Pasighat appealed to the directorate of medical education and health Minister, government of Arunachal Pradesh to come in aid of the students’ concern.
While Mone Tasing, a final year student of B.Sc. Nursing appealed to Health Minister Alo Libang to intervene and help them get their pending stipends. She said that due to regulated lockdown and curfew the goods and other items available around are at a high price and they have to manage their own mess in hotels. “If our pending stipends were released at this time, it would have been to our great relief as most of us are facing financial shortages during this time”, added Mone Tasing and others from GNM classes. On the part of boys, Galling Flago and others from GNM also stated that they are being accommodated in the hostels of Health assistants where at the same compound covid duty workers in dedicated covid hospital Pasighat are staying and using the same water tap. They also said that some of the hostel rooms have leakages due to which rain water drops in the rooms.
When asked about the engagement of students in clinical and covid duty on the concern raised by some parents, government college of nursing, Pasighat principal Natel Jamoh clarified that students are not being engaged in such clinical and covid duties and they are only attending regular classes. When asked, Dr. D. Raina, Jt. Director, Health Services (T & R), Bakin Pertin General Hospital, Pasighat was also of the view to stop the offline classes of the nursing school. On the non release of stipend nursing college, Dr. Raina said that he has already forwarded the application of the students to the directorate for early release.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Dr. S. Engling Khamti, Dy. Director, Medical Education on Saturday informed that he has already informed the matter to the higher office as state government is not releasing any separate funds for medical students from the state government citing reasons for covid situation. He made a mention that around 1700 students from MBBS, BDS, D. Pharma, Nursing etc studying across the country and inside the state are yet to receive their stipends and the funds have to be released from the government of India through National Scholarship portal. However, Dr. Khamti suggested that all the nursing students of Pasighat, Naharlagun, Namsai, Tawang, Daporijo etc must apply afresh on which the directorate will urge the government to release the funds for stipend this year and from next year the students will be directed to apply through national scholarship portal of government of India.
When contacted to Health Minister on the pending stipend case of nursing and medical students, Alo Libang said that he has directed the department officials today to put up the file of pending stipend and he has assured to address the concern of the students.
It is worth mentioning here that, several parents of students are raising questions over regular classes of nursing students whereas other schools and colleges closed down. “Why are nursing students being forced to attend offline classes where basic SoPs are not being maintained due to which students are prone to covid infection”, questioned a parent from Seppa whose ward is studying at Pasighat.
