Hundreds of war-torn Ukraine returnee Odia medical students on Wednesday staged a one-day dharna here, demanding immediate and one-time solution of their plight.
The agitated students said on March 6, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging his urgent intervention, directing the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Union Health Minister for ensuring continuance of studies of Ukraine returnee students in Indian medical colleges from the stage from which their studies in Ukraine have been disrupted on account of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
The CM also had assured of full support of the State Government with the Central Government to find an amicable solution. However, five months have passed since, but no decision has been taken either by the Centre or the State Government to accommodate the students, lamented a student in dharna.
As many as 470 Odia students pursuing their medical course in Ukraine have returned to Odisha. Out of 18,000 Indian medical students evacuated from the war-torn country, around 4,000 students were in the final year for which the NMC has permitted them to complete their internship in India that brought a sigh of relief for the students.
As of now, nearly 14,000 students still who were in various years of study need urgent assistance to be accommodated in at least 606 medical colleges, both Government and private, in India.