Nursing students face uncertainty

RAJSHAHI, Sept 07: At least 15 nursing students fell sick while staging an agitation programme in the city on Saturday to press home their demands.

The nursing faculty arranged the 'Symbolic Examination and Symbolic Poisoning programme' to demand quickly holding of the final examination and publishing of its results.

Students of government nursing colleges of Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Bogura and Sirajganj affiliated with Rajshahi Medical University, and various private nursing colleges participated in this programme at Saheb Bazar Zero Point in Rajshahi city in the afternoon.

Agitating students said that the final examination of the B.Sc.-in-Nursing course for the 2019-20 session slated for September 07 was not held. We are already facing a nine-month-long session jam. The future of nearly 3000 nursing students in 23 colleges is in great uncertainty. So, they came to streets to meet their demands.

During the programme, four students were appointed as vice-chancellors, controllers of examinations and inspectors of examinations (External and Internal).

At that time, the authorities suddenly announced the closure of the examination. After that, the results were published showing the majority of the agitating students failed. Frustrated, the students drank symbolic poison.

At least 15 students fell ill due to heatstroke during these programmes and were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH). Four of them were sent home after first aid. The remaining 11 students have been admitted.

Among the sick students, two students are from Rajshahi Nursing College, one from Udayan Nursing College and the rest from Rangpur and Lalmonirhat Nursing Colleges.

They also said that Saturday's programme was postponed as many were hospitalised with illness. However, the movement will continue until the demands are met.

Raihan Ali, one of coordinators of the movement, said that several students fell ill during the agitation. However, if the demand is not met, the programme will continue.

Dr Shankar K Biswas, in charge of the emergency department at RMCH, said that the students are agitating for their logical demands. However, 11 people fell sick and were admitted to the hospital.

Since last Wednesday, students of nursing faculty have been protesting in Rajshahi city. Last Thursday, they held a symbolic hanging programme by hanging a rope around their necks and later submitted a memorandum to the divisional commissioner.

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