Nizamia students put up in decrepit hostel

HYDERABAD: Within eight years of its opening, the girls’ hostel at Nizamia General Hospital is in a decrepit state due to lack of proper sanitation and hygiene, besides ill-maintained and crowded rooms.

Opened in 2015, students from across the country who opt for accommodation are hoping for a new facility, as discussions are underway for reconstruction and restoration of the hospital building.

Located next to the dilapidated maternity ward, the hostel is a standalone building that lacks basic facilities. It accommodates 55 UG and PG students, who secured admission to the college under the all-India quota, on its three floors.

Students said that drainage issues in toilets are a daily occurrence, as over 20 students on each floor share a single facility. As one enters the hostel building, a nauseating smell emanates from the inside of the building, they said.

Further compounding their lives is infestation by rats and other rodents. But, students said that authorities turned a blind eye to their situation.

A first-year UG student said, “We are tired of complaining to the authorities about the drainage issue. The toilet gets clogged almost every day, which is shared by 21 girls. We live in miserable conditions and feel neglected by the authorities. They have told us that a new building would come up soon, but we don’t know when that will happen.”

Another serious concern is the security of the students, as the hostel does not have a warden or security personnel.

A first-year PG student said that her parents wanted her to stay in the hostel because of security concerns, as they thought she would be safe in the college hostel, which turned out to be the opposite.

Another first-year UG student said, “We lock the main gate of the building from inside after evening hours, as we fear for our safety. Random people keep loitering around the building during the day and at times, at night, as well. We do not step out of the building once we return from college in the afternoon.”

The hostel also does not have a mess facility, forcing students to make food arrangements.

“The rooms are clumsy and smelly. There is no mess facility and we live in inhuman conditions, which are affecting our academics as we are not able to focus on our studies”, said a second-year UG student.

Hospital authorities informed that the construction and restoration work of the hospital would begin soon. A team of Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC) personnel and architects visited the hospital on Tuesday for a survey.

“We have put forth our requirements to the survey team that visited today. We have a total of 14 departments along with the UG and PG students and the facility needs to be expanded. Discussions are going on with the authorities concerned and work will start soon,” a senior hospital official told Deccan Chronicle.