Rahul Gandhi requests health minister to accommodate Ukraine returnee medical students

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi, Member of Parliament (MP) and former president of the Indian National Congress (INC) have written to the Union health and family welfare minister Mansukh Mandaviya requesting him to accommodate the Indian medical students who returned from Ukraine due to the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic conditions in local medical colleges, or to facilitate their transfer them to medical colleges in other foreign countries.

"Lack of clarity has threatened their professional future. It would be a travesty of justice if first and second year students are required to take NEET examinations and restart their MBBS studies, as many news reports have indicated. These students deserve a sympathetic and expeditious response from the government," Gandhi said in a Facebook post.

Shri @RahulGandhi Ji writes to Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare @mansukhmandviya seeking accommodation of medical students in local colleges and institutions on the humanitarian grounds as they were affected by the Pandemic and the conflict of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/YyGyQvfnc1

— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) July 12, 2022

Gandhi also attached a copy of the representation he received from a delegation of medical students from Kerala who enrolled in the medical colleges in Ukraine. He informed in the letter that these students briefed him regarding the lack of clarity regarding their education and career.

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The National Medical Commission's (NMC) regulations regarding foreign medical graduates require the students to complete a medical course of a minimum of 54 months duration. Gandhi said that it would be challenging for the students to go back to Ukraine and complete the course. He also mentioned the Supreme Court order directing the NMC to frame a one-time scheme to accommodate these students.

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Gandhi said that as per many news reports the first and second-year Indian medical students from Ukraine will have to write the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and restart their MBBS course. Gandhi requested the minister to solve these issues.