Medical students who were forced out of Ukraine following the Russian invasion are still facing an uncertain future as India’s National Medical Council has said they cannot be accommodated in medical colleges here and issued difficult clauses for pursuing online classes.
More than 400 students from West Bengal who were pursuing medical courses in various universities in Ukraine and had to return home because of the war will not be accommodated, like thousands of others across India, in any Indian medical college, the medical council has said.
The council also does not allow ‘mobility programmes’ offered by Ukrainian universities.
Online classes are recognised but they should be supplemented by practical classes conducted by the institute abroad, the medical education regulator has said.
Surajit Bose, a second-year student of Zaporizhzhia State Medical University, is attending practical classes at SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has offered ‘observing seats’ for medical students who are back from Ukraine at institutes in West Bengal.
“We are being allowed to take part in practical classes but the medical council will not recognise this when we will pursue online classes,” said Surajit, a resident of Behala in southwest Kolkata.
The council has said: “Foreign medical students are allowed to undergo online classes of theory subjects only, which should be mandatorily supplemented by offline practical and clinical training done in the medical university and/or its affiliated hospital during their MBBS course. A certificate issued by foreign medical university for successful completion of offline practical and clinical training is required to be furnished by the foreign medical graduate.”
The council, however, has issued a disclaimer saying the statement — a reply to a frequently asked question — “cannot be upheld” in a court of law.
“We are confused about whether the practical classes we are attending at SSKM and other medical colleges in West Bengal will be recognised or not. We are planning to file a petition in the Supreme Court with the appeal that the council be asked to recognise the practical classes we are attending here,” said Surajit, whose online classes for the autumn semester at the Zaporizhzhia university will start on September 1.
Ukrainian universities are also offering a ‘mobility programme’ to Indian students, under which they can opt to study at another university for a few semesters under a student exchange programme. But the medical council has refused to recognise the programme.
The council has said there is no restriction on the transfer of foreign medical students studying in Ukraine to universities in countries other than India.
Many east European universities are keen to take in foreign students studying in Ukrainian universities. But students said the cost of studying in an east European institute, if the expenses for the transfer are taken into account, would be too high.
“We would have to pay more than Rs 5 lakh extra and is also not sure whether the course will finally be recognised here,” said one student.
Around 22,000 Indian students were studying in Ukraine when the country was invaded by Russia. All of them have been brought back.
Of the 22,000 students, around 4,000 were from Kerala. But six months after they trekked, hitch-hiked and risked their lives to cross into Ukraine’s neighbouring countries, from where many were airlifted by the Indian government, the students had to be content with online classes.
With no possibility of transferring the scores to Indian medical colleges, the only way out is to return to Ukraine or wait for acceptance from universities in east European countries where fees are on a par.
“The main reason why students like me can opt to study in east Europe is the affordable fee structure and living expenses,” said Fiza Nazreen, from Kerala, who is pursuing her MBBS at Uzhorod National University in western Ukraine.
“My parents don’t want me to return to Ukraine. But my college has asked all foreign students to return since the western parts are largely peaceful. The only way out is to seek a seat in some other east European country such as Georgia, Bulgaria or Kazakhstan,” she added.
Her classmate Mohammed Mithilaj, also from Kerala, said: “We are told they might have online classes for those who are unable to return in September. I am exploring the possibility of transferring my scores to a medical college in Georgia.”