The Union Health Ministry is considering a possible policy or plan to help Indian medical students affected by the Ukraine crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic complete their education in the country’s colleges. Sources told news agency PTI that the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a Supreme Court directive to the regulatory body to prepare a plan in two months regarding allowing MBBS students to complete clinical training in medical colleges here. In light of this, the views of the Health Ministry have been sought.
The Ministry of External Affairs had also written to the Health Ministry to consider allowing continuation of medical degree programs in Indian private medical institutions for students facing extreme circumstances on a one-time exception basis.
At present, there are no prescribed norms for accommodating Indian students pursuing medical courses abroad under the National Medical Commission regulations between academic sessions.
“Preliminary discussions have taken place on possible framing of a policy or plan to enable Indian medical students affected by the Ukraine crisis and pandemic to complete their education in the country’s colleges, but nothing concrete has been decided,” a source said. is.”
“Though the exact number of such students is not clear, but estimates suggest that they could be over 20,000 and colleges in India find it a difficult task to accommodate such a large number of students amidst the current academic session,” he said. Discussions are on to find a way out.
The top court had on April 29 directed the NMC to prepare the plan in two months. In March, the regulatory body said that medical graduates from abroad with incomplete internships due to COVID-19 or war-like situations can complete it in India.
The NMC had on May 6 written to the health ministry saying that the apex court has directed the regulatory body to prepare a plan within two months to provide clinical training to the respondents and similar students in Indian medical colleges at such charges. may be permitted to be completed, as may be prescribed by the NMC.