Nuagaon: Jakeda Ashram School in this block of Nayagarh district is in the grip of fever scare with at least 10 to 12 students having tested positive for virus over the past one week.
While some of the students have left the campus for their homes for treatment, many are battling the disease on the premises. Among the affected were Tofan Pradhan of Class VII, Babul Pradhan of Class VI, Prabhat Sanbad and Alok Jani of Class IV, Biju Pradhan of Class V and Jamuna Pradhan of Class VIII.
In a bid to impart free education among the poor tribals, Harijans and backward classes, the hostel was opened years back by the ST & SC development, minorities & backward classes welfare department.
The school provides education from Class I to Class VII. Its student strength is 232, including 108 girls. Out of the 232 students, at least 220 stay in the hostel.
While the government boasts of providing all facilities to the students, the ground reality is different. The students are made to sleep on a cracked floor without beds. The broken window panes act as welcome gates for mosquitoes that spread malaria and viral fevers. As the students are not provided with mosquito nets, they risk contracting vector-borne diseases like malaria, typhoid, dengue, etc. Worse, the hostel does not have a single fan.
When contacted, headmistress Padmini Pradhan said the affected students were being given medical treatment. “I have brought the need for renovation of the hostel to the notice of senior officials,” she said, adding necessary steps would be taken soon. PNN
