2,000 Ukraine-returned Indian medical students get into Uzbekistan colleges

Hyderabad: Over 2,000 medical students from India who had to return from Ukraine due to the war have been allotted seats at Tashkent Medical Academy and Bukhara State Medical Institute in Uzbekistan.

The Uzbekistan health ministry allotted 2,000 seats to Indian medical students after representations from different medical forums of foreign students. These students, along with the Central and state health ministries, have been trying to get into medical colleges in Uzbekistan as they are affordable.

Indian medical students who studied in Ukraine can be accommodated in these colleges without losing a year as the syllabus and pattern of teaching are based on the guidelines of the National Medical Commission.

Uzbekistan universities turn saviours

Over 1,000 students are to be absorbed by Bukhara State Medical Institute, 500 students by Tashkent Medical Academy, and 500 students by other universities in Uzbekistan. Dr. B. Divya Raj Reddy, the director of NEO Institute and Indian representative to the Medical Higher Educational Institutes, said, “The students are absorbed at an affordable cost, and they are not going to lose their previous study years. There was proper research done before enrolling them into these universities.”

Disruption after the Ukraine War

With many MBBS students forced to leave universities in Ukraine, they were unable to seek admission in other universities abroad. Dr. Divya explained, “Due to limited seats in India and very high fee structure, many middle-class students are opting for MBBS abroad. Those who were displaced due to the Ukraine war needed to complete their studies hence we chose universities in Uzbekistan which will help them complete their medical education.”

NEO Institute in Hyderabad is looking into the problems of medical students who are studying abroad in foreign universities and guiding them right from counselling to admission to resolution of conflict issues, as and when they arise.

Students have a recourse

With National Medical Commission guidelines accepted by Uzbekistan universities, Mr. Mohammed, the first secretary of the Uzbekistan Embassy, assured the students that their careers were safe. “Our universities are recognised by the National Medical Commission and there will be no problems for them to practice in India after their graduation,” he said.