Uzbekistan launches toll-free number, website for aspiring Indian MBBS students

Hyderabad: The officials have taken notice that many fraudulent agencies are spreading disinformation and accepting bogus MBBS admissions while collecting big sums from naive middle-class families in violation of the NMC’s FMGL (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) rules 2021.

In light of these issues, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has informed Indian MBBS applicants that Uzbekistan’s Health Ministry and Tashkent Medical Academy (TMA) have created a toll-free hotline number 1800-123-2931 and a website to clear their doubts.

The TMA South Asian Representative office has been organising seminars with the Uzbekistan delegation in key Indian cities. This issue drew the attention of the Government of India, prompting a new notice from the NMC.

Recently, Uzbek Health Ministry and TMA Indian representative Dr Divya Raj Reddy launched the toll-free helpline and the official website to help students verify information, confirm admission authenticity with NMC norms, and bring Uzbek medical education closer to India. This move was applauded by the ambassadors of India and Uzbekistan.

TMA vice dean Dr Kholmatov stated that their strategic partner Neo Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology provides an Indian curriculum, textbooks, faculty, and NEXT master classes. He said it allows 250 Indian students to study medicine in English medium at TMA for six years, including a one-year internship in 2000+ teaching bedded clinics and hospitals, which aided TMA’s standardisation as per NMC norms.

With the toll-free number, students can get a clear picture of TMA, a 100-year-old institution with strategic alliances with the Universities of Oklahoma, USA; Humboldt, Germany; Westminster, UK; Webster, USA; Daegu, South Korea; NEO, GSL, AIG Hospitals, India, and others, which fosters PG opportunities and exchange programmes for Indian students, as well as innovative VR & AR simulation labs.

Amala, a student, said that the toll-free number and the website will provide an overview of the nation, TMA, admissions, fees, scholarships, education as per NMC rules, rankings, and so on, allowing them to make informed decisions.

Dr Mukesh and Sri Rohit, MS UK, stated that thanks to Neo’s proposal, TMA allowed Ukraine’s return of Indian students to finish their medical studies without wasting time, at an inexpensive rate, in nice hostels with Indian food, and with high scholarships.

Background

Meanwhile, sources indicated that India and Uzbekistan have struck an agreement to boost student interaction between the two nations. The agreement would boost student exchanges between Indian and Uzbek universities. It will also include provisions for the creation of cooperative research centres and the interchange of teachers and specialists.

Last year, Uzbekistan’s Medical Higher Educational Institutes (MHEIs) provided 2,000 places to transfer Indian medical students from Ukraine while adhering to the former MCI and NMC standards (Screening Test Laws 2002) and (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate - FMGL laws 2021).

Uzbekistan offered two undergraduate medical programmes to Indian students: a six-year MD diploma and a five-and-a-half-year MBBS degree with a one-year internship.

Furthermore, Uzbekistan provides scholarships for Uzbek students to study in India. The scholarships are made available through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) initiative.