Mumbai: In a bid to accommodate Ukraine-returned MBBS students in state medical colleges, the Maharashtra government has decided to seek help from the Centre to ensure that the academic year of medicos does not get wasted due to the ongoing war in the country.
Indian nationals stranded in various Ukrainian cities were evacuated through neighbouring countries and the maximum evacuees have been students pursuing undergraduate medical courses. The first of the evacuees were flown out of Bucharest in Romania and the flight landed in Mumbai on February 26. More than 1500 students were brought back via government flights to Maharashtra.
“Many students from the state who were pursuing their MBBS in Ukraine returned early this year. I met with former union minister Sharad Pawar as well as senior officials from the state medical education department to discuss the status of these students as the war still continues,” tweeted state medical education minister Amit Deshmukh, on Wednesday. He also added that the central government will be approached to accommodate such students in medical colleges in the state to avoid academic loss.
While the National Medical Commission (NMC) has not released any particular programme for students affected by the situation in Ukraine, Deshmukh assured students of an ‘alternative strategy’ to help them pursue their education. The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) revealed its plan on providing a foster support system for such students last month and finally launched an e-learning module last month.
Most universities in Ukraine started online classes in mid-March, and while students have been attending them and appearing for exams in online mode, they are missing out on practical sessions.
“Many of us have opted for certain sessions that are being freely conducted by MUHS, which are helpful. However, it’s still not the same as practical classes, which is what we need as third and fourth-year MBBS students. We really hope the government helps us,” said Avishkar Mulay (21), a third-year MBBS student of Bukovinian State Medical University in Chernivtsi, west Ukraine. He added that their respective institutes too are uncertain of the future, which is making the situation more volatile for students.
While the state government has not yet clarified how this move to accommodate students from Ukraine will be implemented, students feel there are several unanswered questions that the government will need to clarify before implementing their transfer.
“Most of us opted for medical education in Ukraine because it was affordable. My annual fee is ₹6 lakh, but in Maharashtra, private medical institutes charge between ₹9-15 lakh per annum, which we cannot afford. Hope the government considers all this before transferring us to state institutions,” said Pranita Shinde, another student returnee from Ukraine.
A senior official from MUHS said that without any final confirmation from the Centre, state government as well as the National Medical Commission (NMC), the MUHS will be in no position to comment on this matter.
