Medical students studying in China Universities stage protest in Kerala
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES NEWS OF INDIA
Several Indian students pursuing MBBS in Chinese universities staged a protest outside the Kerala secretariat on Saturday seeking recognition of their physical training in India.The protest was held under the banner of Foreign Medical Graduates Parents Association (FMGPA) - an association of parents of medical students in foreign countries.Forced to return to India after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the medical students have since been unable to return to their host country and have continued their physical training at government and private hospitals in the state. Stuck in their home country due to the non-availability of visas from the Chinese authorities, the Indian students have resorted to completing their courses with the help of online classes."We are helpless right now. We need a certificate from the government that we are going to the hospitals for a certain period and we are getting observation with certain department," Aleen said.He further highlighted that China is presently facing another wave of COVID-19 and said that the situation there is becoming "more critical."Vice president of FMGPA, Subair MC said that students want authorisation from the Kerala government and Indian government to get their certificates to deem their education as "valid." "Students from China are facing the same difficulties as students from Ukraine. Please don`t forget us," it read.Last month, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Centre and National Medical Council (NMC) on a plea moved by students seeking directions to NMC to allow physical training in India of Indian students studying medicine in China, who are stuck in their home country due to COVID-19 pandemic. The Petitioners, 147 students of medicine in the Ningbo University (China) states that they returned to India in early 2020 (January to March) and thereafter, have been stuck in their home country India, ever since due to the non-availability of visas from the Chinese authorities. The Division Bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh had sought response of Central Government through the Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and National Medical Council and listed the matter for March 21, 2022.