On February 15, when the Indian Embassy issued an advisory for Indian students to leave Ukraine, the flight fare, which usually costs around Rs 23,000, had already skyrocketed to over Rs 65,000 one-way. (Representational) MANY INDIAN medical students in Ukraine on Thursday woke up to panicky calls from their families, with the news of Russia declaring war against Ukraine. While some have returned to India after paying exorbitant plane fares, thousands are still stuck in Ukraine, with bags filled with essentials items, waiting to get evacuated.
Even a loud sound outside makes them apprehensive.
On Thursday, unaware that Russia had attacked Ukraine, Shaik Reshma, a medical student at Odessa National Medical University, was concerned when she saw multiple calls and messages from her family. “I didn’t understand what was happening as I was in shock,” she said to The Indian Express. Currently, the fourth-year MBBS student is stuck in Ukraine along with hundreds of other Indian medical students. The residents of Ukraine are rushing to malls and supermarkets to stock up on food in case the situation worsens. “We are even scared to go out to stock up on food. We could hear the sound of the bombs outside. This unpredictable situation is making the students more worried,” said Reshma, who is from Andhra Pradesh.
On February 15, when the Indian Embassy issued an advisory for Indian students to leave Ukraine, the flight fare, which usually costs around Rs 23,000, had already skyrocketed to over Rs 65,000 one-way.
The exorbitant fare had stopped many students from returning to India.
Arindam Dam, a medical student at Kharkiv National Medical University, said, “I have taken an education loan by putting my father’s house on lease. I can’t afford to buy such an expensive ticket and
return.” He hails from Purulia in West Bengal.
The situation is more challenging for final-year MBBS students who are supposed to get their degree in the next four months.
Sanket Raghvendra Pathak, final-year MBBS student, who is from Parbhani in Maharashtra, said, “Currently, due to the escalating military tension, our education has been made online. But as I am passing in the next four months, I don’t want to quit my studies and leave years of essential documents and return to India.” “I am scared but what if I fail to return to Ukraine and miss my final-year examination,” asked Pathak, staring at an uncertain future.
The students are so apprehensive that even a loud sound outside their hostel is enough to scare them off. “In the morning, around 11 am, we heard a loud sound, like an explosion, and saw smoke coming out of an area which was a km away from our hostel. It created panic among us” said Pathak.
Nearly a quarter of foreign students in Ukraine, around 18,000, are Indians. Majority of them are medical students. Students who couldn’t secure a medical seat in government colleges or can’t afford to pay exorbitant fees in private institutions in India often opt for Ukrainian medical colleges, which are cheaper but have higher educational standards.
The Russia Medical Graduates Association, Tamil Nadu, is in touch with medical students both in Russia and Ukraine.
Dr C Babu Ganesh, former president of the association, said, “The condition of Indian students in Russia is stable. But the condition of students in Ukraine is concerning…”.
The colleges are individually contacting the students through emails and WhatsApp with the message: ‘Panic doesn’t help, it only hurts’. They are also collecting the information of students who are still in Ukraine. “Prepare a bag with documents and necessary stuff. Be at home, don’t leave home unnecessary. If evacuation happens, we can find you there,” stated a message circulated by Odessa National Medical University.
Students who have returned are heaving a sigh of relief but are concerned about missing classes. Mahesh Gorakshnath Nagargoje, a fourth-year MBBS student, said that within hours of the advisory by the Indian Embassy, he booked his plane tickets at a cost of Rs 42,000 and returned to his house in Navi Mumbai on February 16.
“My family was scared more than me, so I decided to return immediately. But I am constantly taking calls and messages from my friends who are stuck there and hoping that the Indian government will rescue them,” he said.
The online circulation of fake information is creating more panic among students and their family members. “Due to the imposition of martial law, we can’t go out, so we are completely dependent on social media for news. But so much sensational and fake information is being circulated that students are panicking,” said Sagar Kumar, who hails from Bihar and is a second-year student of Ivano Frankvisk National Medical University.
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