On April 14, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule sought the aid of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for the Indian medical students who have returned from China. The students have been stranded in India since the pandemic was declared and their education has taken a hit as they have been unable to pursue clinical and practical training.
The students have been demanding that their return to China be facilitated and that they be granted permission to pursue their practical training here in the country till that can be arranged. The students want to resume offline classes and practical training but China has closed its borders to them by suspending visa and residence permits from March 27, 2020, keeping in view the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her letter to the Union Health Minister, the MP put forth the grievances of the students and asked for his help in the situation. The letter gave details of the current scenario surrounding the medical students from China. It highlighted that though the students are attending online classes, they are anxious due to the uncertainties that prevail regarding their practical training and the reopening of the Chinese border.
MP Sule also stated in the letter that she had met a delegation of Indian Students in China and the Foreign Medical Graduates Parents Association (FMGPA). The letter was sent to the Minister on April 13, mentioning the key demands of these students and the FMGPA.
