St Xavier’s College, Calcutta, will conduct a Covid-19 vaccination camp in collaboration with the state government on its Park Street campus.

It will also set up a safe home for Covid patients on its Raghabpur campus in South 24-Parganas.

Senior officers of the district administration and state health department have already done a preliminary inspection at Raghabpur.

On the Park Street campus, the vaccination will start with the college staff, teaching and non-teaching staff, alumni and then include others when the capacity increases, a college official said.

The date and the eligibility criterion will be fixed based on the allotment of the vaccines and the number of doses, he added.

“We are going through a very difficult time and we at St Xavier’s would like to take our responsibility in our own way to fight the dreaded virus...,” said Reverend Father Dominic Savio, the principal of the college and president of the alumni association.

The safe home on Raghabpur campus will help the people in the surrounding areas who do not have adequate space for isolation at homes.

“If the less serious patients are handled in the isolation centre, the pressure on the hospitals will automatically reduce and proper life support can be provided to the serious ones. We are happy to give our newly built college building even before its formal inauguration…,” Reverend Father Savio said.

Sanjib Koner, the secretary of the alumni association, said the helpline, operated by the alumni, was working almost around the clock to cater to the emergency requirements. “It has been able to guide Xavierians and non-Xavierans with up-to-date information on medical facilities and oxygen,” he said.

Institutions across the city are taking other initiatives to combat the pandemic.

The school education department on Monday wrote to the district magistrates on the use of school buildings as safe homes. “...the state government is considering using schools as safe homes for Covid patients,” read the circular signed by Anindya Narayan Biswas, the commissioner of school education.

St Xavier’s Collegiate School: The school has offered space for an RT-PCR testing centre. “We have tied up with Nightingale Hospital, which is conducting the tests on our campus,” said principal Father M. Thamacin Arulappan.

Don Bosco School, Park Circus: The school has started an RT-PCR test facility which caters to about 100 people every day. “We decided to open our campus to the public, which is now closed for in-person classes,” said principal Father Bikash Mondal.

Shri Shikshayatan Foundation: The institute in collaboration with Charnock Hospital on Tuesday vaccinated 100 staffers from four units — Marwari Balika Vidyalaya, Shri Shikshayatan School and Shri Shikshayatan College and Calcutta Business School.