This nursing college requires a major surgery

Staff shortage, ragging and lack of basic facilities a growing concern

A nursing college established in Hassan a decade ago to meet the rising demand for quality educational institutions in the city, is now a symbol of apathy,  thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the government.

Hostels sans wardens, shortage of teaching staff, lack of basic facilities in the college and the perennial ragging problem is only few of the long list of problems suffered by the college.

The college had commenced with a basic B Sc course in nursing, now offers post graduate  courses. Only nine lecturers are on the job against the required 42. Among them only two are appointed on a full-time basis, while the remaining seven faculty are on deputation. These lecturers have to handle both graduate and post-graduate classes, which has a total strength of 390 students.

The hostel facility too is detestable. The college has only 49 boys, who have two hostels, each with 43 rooms.

But, in a contrasting state of affairs, eight people have to cramp inside a single room in the ladies hostel. Even though there are hostels, not a single post of warden has been sanctioned. Lecturers of the college assume the responsibility of warden of the hospital on a shift basis .

Since there is no canteen in the hostel, students have to pay for the groceries and the cooks who cook them food.

Ragging

A total of three students have left the college after falling prey to ragging in the hostel.
In the academic year 2011-12, two students Tejas from Mysore and Raghavendra from Bangalore, bid good bye to studies after allegedly being assaulted by seniors.

Tejas was attacked by a mob from outside the college after he had a disagreement with one of the students in the college. Raghavendra, who went to the rescue of Tejas had to taste the wrath of the mob.

Harish from Chitradurge too was attacked in the college. Despite assurances from the college principal that Harish will be given security, parents of Harish insisted for  transferring the student from the college, fearing for their son’s life.

But after the recent protests by the students against the principal of the college, Damayanthi, she has been instructed to go on leave for two months by the director of Hassan Medical University, Dr Rachegowda. This has again reduced the number of teaching staff in the college to eight, thus increasing the pressure on already overburdened lecturers.

A college that opened doors  for the benefit of students a few years ago, has now transfromed to a hub of seemingly never-ending woes.