PU Asks Food Contractors to Uphold Hygiene after Protests from Students

Panjab University (PU) had to ask the mess and canteen contractors to provide hygienic food subsequent to the student protest. On Wednesday, August 3, 2016, students of PU had protested against the unhygienic food that was being served in the hostels.

Following the consumption of unhygienic food, students fell ill and were diagnosed with neurocysticercosis that is a preventable parasitic infection of the central nervous system. Realizing the damage, the university administration decided to reimburse the entire medical expenditure that the students had to spend on the medical treatment.

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A demonstration was held by the students in front of the VC’s office. They also stopped the examination controller and other officials from the office.

Registrar of PU, Col G S Chadha (retd.) talked to the students to understand their grievances and found out that some of the students have fallen sick and seven students were diagnosed with neurocysticercosis because of the unhygienic food that was served at hostels.

The university directions require the contractors to obtain the food license from the Chandigarh health department.

The students demanded that the administration reimbursed the entire medical expenditure that the students had to bear. The university has agreed to the demands of the students affected by the disease.

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A report was submitted to the Vice-Chancellor by the PU medical board that included university doctors. It confirmed that five girls have come down with cysticercosis.

The medical board of the university has suggested that measures to maintain hygiene should be incorporated while cooking and serving food.