West Bengal cannot Decide for Ukraine Returned Medicos, NMC will soon take call: Medical Regulator in RTI response

New Delhi: While responding to a RTI query, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has recently clarified that the State Governments cannot take a call regarding inclusion of Ukraine returned medicos in the Indian medical colleges.

NMC has further clarified that the matter of accommodating the medical students, who were forced to flee the war-torn Ukraine, is being considered by the Commission and no other requests would be entertained for now.

The query was raised by a Kannur-based health activist Dr Babu KV who sought response from the Apex medical regulatory body in this matter. Such a query has been raised in the backdrop of the decision of the West Bengal government, which announced that the Ukraine returned medicos would be allowed to attend private medical colleges in the name of "observership".

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that medical students who had returned from war-ravaged Ukraine would be admitted to various medical colleges of the state.

Also Read: NMC, Health Ministry slams Bengal Govt for deciding to accommodate Ukraine returned MBBS students

Banerjee had said, "Altogether 422 students have returned from Ukraine to the state risking their career. We had asked the Centre to allow us to accommodate them at different colleges. But the Centre said they cannot help them. They are asking the students to go to Poland and Hungary. How can they spend so much money again?"

"A total of 23 sixth year medical students will be allowed to undergo internship at government medical colleges as per norms. At least 135 students — 43 fifth year and the rest fourth year — will be allowed to undertake Observing seat at different medical colleges," she had further added.

The Bengal CM had further announced that as many as 172 third year and second year medical students would be allowed to attend practical classes. Besides, 78 first year students who are qualified for the 2021 session would be allowed for counselling immediately at "our private medical colleges against the management quota seats for fresh admission.

However, slamming the West Bengal Government, the NMC and the Union Health Ministry had questioned the West Bengal Government over such an announcement. The officials of the Apex medical body had clarified that any decision regarding the Ukraine returned medical students needs to come from them. In fact, they had further mentioned that the Bengal Government had not sought any permission from NMC before making the decision. Therefore, even if the Ukraine-returned medicos undergo practical training in the State-run medical colleges in Bengal, they would not be eligible for appearing in the FMGE screening test.

Seeking clarification on the matter, Dr Babu had approached the NMC with an RTI application. As per the latest media report by the New Indian Express, while responding to the RTI reply, NMC has once again clarified its stand that it would not allow the States to take any decision of including the Ukraine returned medicos in the Indian medical colleges and complete their education.

Previously the Supreme Court had also left the matter to the discretion of the medical regulator and directed it to decide the same by June 29.

Now with such a clarification from the Apex medical body, now around 18,000 medical students, who had to come home after the war, have no other choice but to wait until NMC uploads its policy decision on its website.

Also Read: NMC approaches Health Ministry over Supreme Court direction on Clinical Training of pandemic hit Foreign MBBS medicos