Back home safe from Ukraine, Gwalior medical students now stare at uncertain future

For Harshali, they have been lucky that they have come home safely given the intensifying war in the country. “Now the biggest concern is about our future. The way the situation in Ukraine has become very dire, it does not seem that we will be able to reach there again to start our studies smoothly,” she said while appealing to the authorities to help them in completing their degrees.

Gwalior: Two medical students from Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior city who returned from war-ravaged Ukraine are now concerned about their career saying the chances of their return to the medical colleges in Ukraine were bleak amid the intensifying Russian invasion.

Harshali Raje and Nikhil Kurechia, who reached Gwalior after their evacuation under 'Operation Ganga' thanked the government of India but appealed to the authorities to make arrangements for the completion of their pending medical degrees which they left midway in Ukraine. “The way the situation is unfolding in Ukraine, it does not look even if we go back, they will accept us,” said Nikhil.

For Harshali, they have been lucky that they have come home safely given the intensifying war in the country. “Now the biggest concern is about our future. The way the situation in Ukraine has become very dire, it does not seem that we will be able to reach there again to start our studies smoothly,” she said while appealing to the authorities to help them in completing their degrees.

Harshali also complained of the dearth of medical seats in the country despite high scores in the NEET medical entrance test compelling students to seek admissions in foreign countries. “Medical education is the same everywhere, but due to lack of medical colleges and seats in India, students have to go to other countries for degrees. The fees of private medical colleges in India are so high that they cannot afford it. The fee of one year in India suffices for the entire medical degree abroad,” she said.

The two students said after the war broke out in Ukraine, they had to walk 20 km on foot to reach Romania from where the Indian authorities evacuated them.