Medical students evacuated from Ukraine requests Centre to accommodate them in Indian colleges
Mar 12, 2022
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 12 : Indian Medical students who had to leave Ukraine following the Russia-Ukraine conflict appealed the Central government to help them pursue their course in their home country.
"I don't want to go back to Ukraine, expecting the Central government to do something about our education here", said Pratisksha Sharma, a medical student who returned from Ukraine.
Pratisksha, a student of Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical University, while narrating her escape from the war-torn country, said, "I was supposed to come back from Ukraine on February 24. I was in a bunker in Kyiv for three days. Then I went to the Hungary border from where I flew back to India through the Indian Air force flight."
Speaking about her studies, Sharma said, "As of now, we are having online classes. If our government is accomodating us in Indian colleges, then I would study in India. If they are not accomodating us, then I will clear my KROK exam in Ukraine and go to some other safer country to finish my studies."
Ukrainian medical examination, KROK, is a Licensing Examination, an obligatory part of state certification for awarding the qualification of doctor or pharmacist.
According to Pratisksha, medicine is a subject that needs lots of practical classes and studying it online will not make any sense. "Practical information is very important. We need live experiences. I don't think online education will work for us and later there will be issues saying that we don't trust you guys as you are from this batch that didn't have proper classes. We don't want that semi-educated tag on us," she added.
"It's difficult to go back there but KROK is important. I don't want to go back and I am expecting the Indian government to do something," she added.
Narendra Sharma, the father of Pratisksha Sharma, said, "She came back now, we are waiting for the government to do something because there are a lot of children who are bearing the brunt of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. If she is not getting an opportunity here, we will try to send her somewhere abroad safer. She wants to become a doctor. I want the government to take steps to provide opportunities here in India for the children who are evacuated from Ukraine."
He added, "The way the Central Government has brought back children from Ukraine safely, in the same way, the Indian government should take steps to provide them education in India."
India has evacuated over 20,000 of its citizens from war-hit Ukraine under Operation Ganga
