Lack of beds at hospitals to take care of Covid patients has prompted IIT Kharagpur to put on hold calling back research scholars to the campus, said an official of the institute.

The dean of student affairs, Somesh Kumar, has told the scholars who were to return to the campus over the next few weeks to defer their journey because Covid beds in hospitals are not available in enough numbers.

Thirty cases have been reported on the campus recently. Those infected include five students and the rest are faculty and staff. Some are being treated in hospitals in Calcutta, while the rest are in isolation on the campus, officials at the institute said.

Starting December, the institute has allowed around 800 of its 4,000-odd research scholars to return to the campus in batches. Those who have already arrived have not been asked to leave. They have been advised to follow all Covid protocols.

“Beds are unavailable all over. In such a situation, it won’t be advisable to recall students,” Kumar told Metro on Sunday.

An official said the dean in his mail drew attention to the rising case count on the campus as well as surrounding areas.

“BC Roy Technology Hospital on the campus is not capable of dealing with the rising number of Covid patients. Kharagpur Sub-divisional Hospital, near the campus, is full,” an official said.

The Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, about 17km from the campus, is also struggling following the surge in Covid numbers, the official said.

Many on the campus said they were reliant on hospitals in Calcutta for treatment of critical diseases. “Lack of Covid beds in Calcutta, which is reeling from the second wave of infection, has complicated the situation,” a professor said.

Highlighting the stressed and insufficient medical facilities, dean Kumar has written to the research scholars: “In past few days several students have become Covid positive. They are being managed differently, depending on their condition, availability of beds in hospitals etc.”

The mail says: “We are now observing that several students are getting infected on the way to Kharagpur while travelling from their hometown in train/car/flight, although they have RT-PCR negative report from their hometown”.

The IIT has also put on hold its decision to call back 300 final-year undergraduate students, who need to attend in-person lab classes. They set to return to the campus from April 16.

Shivam Singh, the officiating vice-president at Technology Students Gymkhana, a body that represents students on the campus, has said in a recent Facebook post: “However, keeping in mind the sudden rise in the COVID-19 cases all over the country and especially on campus... the safety and health of the students will be put in jeopardy, should they return to campus”