New Delhi, Apr 27 (IANS): The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) has written to acting Vice Chancellor P.C. Joshi and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to expand the Covid facility at the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI).

The VPCI is located on the main campus of the University of Delhi.

DUTA President Rajib Ray said that the second wave of the pandemic has claimed scores of lives in the national capital.

"Such tragedies have taken place only because of the lack of preparedness. For the last few days, many teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as students of the Delhi University, have been battling similar crunch. So, the current situation demands all the public healthcare facilities to explore all their possibilities for expansion," Ray said.

The letter said that VPCI's Covid facility should be scaled up as it is equipped with all the necessary infrastructure.

According to DUTA, the move will not only bring relief to the teaching and non-teaching staff and their kin, but will also prove beneficial for the residents of the city's north-west region.

DUTA quoted several reports, saying the health crisis might deepen in the days to come.

In such an alarming situation, such an initiative will be effective for the students and staff of DU, the letter said.

Besides, the teachers have also appealed to the administration to provide a compensation of Rs 2.5 crore for the teachers who have lost their lives in fighting the deadly virus.