Hyderabad, July 29 (P.A. Rama Rao): The categorical statement made by the Union Minister for Health in Parliament recently on admission/adjustment of Medical students, who were forced to come back to the country from Ukraine following the war in that country, ex- poses the total insensitiveness of the Government to the plight of the nearly 20,000 such students who could not go back to Ukraine, and also the lack of understanding on many issues relating to medical education in our country. The Minister has made it clear that there are no provisions in the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956 or in the National Medical Commission Act of 2019 to allow the transfer or adjustment of Medical students of foreign medical colleges in the country.
It also exposes the Government’s total absence of the ground realities like the prohibitive cost of medical education in the country (which forces the students to opt for foreign studies) and also the need for more medical professionals in the country to meet the demands. Another important aspect is the Government going back on its assurance made to the students while bringing them back to the country from strife-ridden Ukraine that all measures will be taken to ensure that their valuable time and their education will not be jeopardized.
The students were forced to leave Ukraine in March this year nearly five months back — as Russia declared war on that country and since then the students and their parents are in distress and facing great tension about their future, in view of the fact that conditions were not at all favorable for their re- turn to Ukraine, and at the same time, the Government of India has not made any attempts to fulfill its promise of accommodating them in colleges in the country. Now, the Government is showing the rules as an impediment to their adjustment in Indian colleges. At least now, the Government should treat the issue as a special case and amend the rules to accommodate the students in the colleges here. The laws are made by our own Parliament, and it has every power to amend the same in view of the special circumstances.
Abnormal Cost
The Government also should take the initiative to cut down the prohibitive costs of Medical education in the country. When medical education is cheaper in many countries, there is no reason why it should be beyond the reach of middle and lower-income people. Bringing down the cost of medical education will also help in the production of more medical professionals to meet the demand. It is high time, that the Government of India took interest in all these vital issues and take corrective steps. It is hoped our lawmakers will take the lead to set right these issues expeditiously!!
