HNLU Raipur saw multiple chicken pox cases on campus last week, but it was business as usual for students and faculty as classes continued alongside free medical check-ups and preventive medication offered to them.

HNLU vice chancellor Prof Sukh Pal Singh, who couldn’t confirm the exact number of reported cases but said that they were fewer than 20, commented: “I cannot tell you the exact number but [the reported cases] are not large in number and whosoever has caught [chicken pox] has been asked to go home.

“Others are being medically checked up. Whosoever feels like getting checked up we have provided bus [to the local hospital] and other facilities. We are taking every precaution that is necessary from our end.”

“Classes are being regularly held. There is not any alarming situation wherein we have to take some other steps like closing down the classes or university for some time. We don’t think that,” added Singh.

One HNLU student told us today that the outbreak was “nothing serious”. The student commented: “In fact I just took the preventive medication [being] given [by the college administration] on a daily basis now. And in the similar instance, college declared holiday before so if the situation indeed gets out of control then I guess they wouldn’t mind doing that again.”

One campus source said via email: “The administration it has asked the affected students to leave the hostel. Also it is asking the remaining students to take a dose of homeopathic medicine as a preventive measure.”

“These responses are not enough. Chicken pox is most contagious a day or two before the first rash appears. So students who look perfectly healthy might be spreading the disease to others in class and hostel. By the time a student will leave the hostel, more people will get it from him,” the source added.

HNLU had shut down for more than one week in 2014 to deal with a chicken pox outbreak.

This time the law school is gearing up for events on campus at this time. HNLU’s annual sports and cultural fest Colossus, and Model United Nations (MUN) conference IMUNC is scheduled to be held from 24 – 26 February.