Written evidence from Dr Jai Chitnavis (CIL0684)

As a local medical practitioner, it was clear that Coronaviral Disease hardly affected Cambridge in Michaelmas Term 2020.

Evidence: I see large numbers of patients at two hospitals in Cambridge, work with staff at those centres, teach and serve on the Fellowship of a Cambridge College and interact with staff at a University Department. I was aware of only one death from Covid 19 in Cambridge during 2020 and that occurred in May 2020 to a staff member with co-morbidities who was a locum tenens from London.

At the start of 2020 (January), one of my students, with no history of chronic illness, returned to University late having been hospitalised near his home in England with pneumonia of unknown cause during Xmas 2019. He had met a group of students from Wuhan, China just prior to the start of Christmas holidays. Another 3 of my students were obviously ill with flu in January 2020 but recovered. I was closely in contact with those people but did not fall ill myself.

As a University teacher and researcher, it was clear that Varsity restrictions, imposed without widespread discussion, harmed education, learning and research at Cambridge in 2020.

Evidence:

1. In my Anatomy Department, First Year Medical Students had less than half of normal exposure to Human Dissection. They had to keep changing cadavers they were dissecting, limiting continuity of constructive learning. Teaching sessions kept anatomy demonstrators and students physically apart, making a mockery of detailed instruction. How can one convey the 3D intricacies of the human body so generously donated by other human beings on ‘Zoom’ sessions in 2D?
2. Advice to wear masks indoors significantly affected the ability to convey information from students to teachers and vice versa.
3. My Third Year Research students were forbidden to undertake any human dissection significantly limiting their scope of study in Anatomical research.

As a College Tutor, it is clear that sanctions for an invisible disease caused

mental anguish to, and suppressed the freedoms of, students.

Evidence:

1. Students complained that they felt College porters had been heavy-handed in enforcing distancing and facial masking. One said that she had been filmed by surveillance camera and seen not to be wearing a mask whilst alone indoors, following which she was approached and questioned.
2. Several students felt that limitations on access to the College library, borne of distancing, had forced them to compete for available study space in cafeterias around Cambridge.
3. The absence of a joint area to eat, forced students to take cafeteria meals back to their rooms and eat alone.
4. Several students felt anxious about developing disease.
5. Some students felt that the lack of in-person teaching supervisions was a handicap.

Mr (Dr) Jai Chitnavis MA (Cantab) MChir FRCS

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Fellow in Medicine, Senior Anatomy Demonstrator and College Tutor

Trinity Hall

University of Cambridge             

09/01/2021