Medical studies in Ukraine
Pro-Ukraine MBBS course arguments:
1. MBBS fees in Ukraine are around Rs 15-20 lakh for the entire six years. In India, whereas in India private medical colleges can range from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore.
2. More than 16 lakh students applied for NEET-UG for 2021 for approx 1 lakh seats. This means that for every MBBS seat in the country, there are more than 16 applicants.
3. Ukraine ranks fourth in Europe for having the largest number of graduate and post-graduate specializations in the field of medicine. The state-run Universities provide quality education at a low cost. In comparison, lesser-known private medical colleges in India tend to demand much higher fees.
4. The medical colleges in Ukraine fill in the gap for Indian students who find themselves unable to get seats in government colleges or afford the heavy fees charged by private institutions in India.
5. Additionally, unlike in India, there are no medical examinations that are conducted for the medical students to get admission.
6. The medium of instruction is English in Ukraine so that works as an added benefit for not having to learn a foreign language while also studying medicine.
7. Ukrainian and Russian medical colleges are even recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The degrees are very much valid in India as the Indian Medical Council (IMC) too recognizes them. These medical degrees are also recognized worldwide; especially by the European Council of Medicine, other global bodies, and the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom help these students with further opportunities.
Counter arguments:
1. Foreign MBBS students are required to take a licentiate exam called Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE)- before they can practice in India however, Only 16.6 percent of Indian students from Ukraine were able to pass this exam meaning they’re weak i.e Nearly 4,000 students with medical degrees from Ukraine take the FMGE each year, but only about 700 students pass.
2. Students traveling to east European countries, Russia or China, most of them score less than 20 percent on NEET-UG. The cut-off for India, even in private colleges, is about 60 percent. Anybody who pays the fees gets to MBBS college in Ukraine, Russia, and China. But they are not taught well, and students are very weak in studies so they will not become a good doctors.
3. India has 1 medical college for a 25 lakh population. Meaning in India we prefer quality over quantity.
Data on the healthcare system in India:
1. Shortage of staff: India faces a shortage of about 6 lakhs doctors, one million nurses, 2 lakhs dental surgeons, and a large number of paramedical staff.
2. Neglect of Rural Population: According to health information 31.5% of hospitals and 16% of hospital beds are situated in rural areas where 75% of the total population resides. Moreover, the doctors are also unwilling to serve in rural areas.
3. The report by the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) in the US has made the following observations about the healthcare system in India: Lack of properly trained staff to administer antibiotics is preventing patients from accessing life-saving drugs. Even when antibiotics are available, patients are often unable to afford them. Further unqualified doctors prescribing antibiotics in improper amounts to the patients can be harmful or expensive for them. About 65% of health expenditure is out-of-pocket in India. These outrageous health-related expenditures push 57 million people into poverty every year. There is one government doctor for every 10,189 people in India against the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation of having a ratio of 1:1,000 doctors to patients. The nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:483 which implies a shortage of two million nurses.
My Opinion:
Government should seriously think about providing medical education to students which is accessible and affordable to all students. Instead of spending Rs. 50 lac-1 crore on an MBBS degree in India, middle-class parent is paying Rs.25-30 lac for a degree in Ukraine. In a country with regional, economic and linguistic disparities, uniformity is no virtue. The political leadership should work together to evolve a flexible admission policy. The socio, economic and other demographic adversities that cause poor performance of all relevant students, mainly the disadvantaged and underprivileged, in their HSC examination shall be identified, and according to the degree of intensities of adversities, re-profiling of scores should be done. The school education, up to the level of HSC, shall be reformed such that learning, as opposed to coaching, is fostered. NEET, formerly known as the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), is now the only qualifying test for MBBS and BDS programs in Indian medical and dental colleges which has its own concerns. NEET is successful mainly and predominantly for the repeaters (71% in 2021) and those students who have gone through coaching, fresh or first-time applicants are highly discouraged and discriminated against by those who were going through a long-term coaching curve. Therefore, it is also against fresh students. NEET is said to be biased against the state boards and promotes coaching. State Board studies have become meaningless due to NEET. Of students who secured admission in the year 2019-20, 99% of students had received prior training/coaching before they appear in the NEET. Most of them had repeatedly taken the examination to get admission to MMBS. Many of them are being coached from the 8th standard onwards, mentally preparing the students to concentrate on NEET Examination without giving much importance to the actual learning in their studies. This affects learning and students are prevented from being groomed in all aspects which is very much essential for producing Doctors with all relevant skills. As per a report in TN, the total business of 400 plus coaching firms is approximately Rs. 5750 crores. How can a student from a village afford these coachings? we need to understand that If the students from rural areas study MBBS, after completion of the course, they will serve in the rural area. But affluent people who spend lakhs of rupees for coaching will either work in corporate hospitals or go to foreign countries for work. Medicine has always been a service to the people but NEET selection instills a highly competitive and business mindset in the minds of students, thus public service disappears and profit-oriented medical practice becomes commercialized. Personally, I believe, there should be Equality in law, fact, and outcome. When any law is made it shall apply equally to all these students. Unequal cannot be treated equally. A racehorse and a cart-pulling horse are not equal. They cannot be treated equally. Therefore, we need to fine-tune between the exams conducted and the aspirations of the youth, considering their economic, social and mental well-being.
Latest update: Date - ( 15/3/2022 )
Medical education updates:
1. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed the upper age limit for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG). Previously the age limit was 25 years for General and 30 for reserved candidates.
2. Medical college control 2022: Earlier there was no control on the fee structure for privately deemed universities at all. Their fees were decided by their internal committees. Now, state regulatory committees will approve the fees - by looking at the operating cost of the medical college.
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