Education
China-educated Nepali medical students have welcomed Nepal Medical Council’s move to allow them internship opportunities in Nepali hospitals.
Earlier, more than a hundred Nepali students pursing medical studies in China had been denied such opportunities back home. The Council’s move will benefit Covid pandemic-affected medical students who could not return to China to complete their studies.
Their reaction follows the Council’s move to request Ministry of Health and Population to allow internship facilities to Nepali students studying in various Chinese universities – and particularly those belonging to the batch of 2016 who had landed in trouble.
The Council is the governing body for medical professionals in Nepal. It made the decision after an agreement with the Medical Education Commission.
The Covid toll
That’s not all. Nepali medical students in China suffered even more after the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic which forced them to return to Nepal in 2020 when hundreds of students returned without completing their medical studies.
As China imposed a strict travel ban, most of them never got a chance to return to China and were forced to attend online classes from Nepal itself.
The students were demanding that they be given a chance to complete their internships in hospitals in Nepal. The MBBS students will not be eligible to get their degree without completing their internships.
As many as 135 aspiring doctors from batch 2016 flew back to Nepal before completion of their studies.
Seemingly option-less, the students even took to the streets of Kathmandu demanding that they be given a chance to complete their internship in Nepali hospitals.
Thereafter the Council decided to allow two years of medical practice, including one year of practical studies and one year of internship.
The Council said the one year internship should be completed as per National guidelines for medical internship training 2007, or as per the universities' rules and regulations.
The Council says that there should be inclusion of four subjects -- medicine, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics and paediatrics as major subjects in one year education prior to the internship.
It has already been more than a year that the students from China have completed their theoretical course.
“The provision of internships will start at its earliest,” said Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, assistant spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population. “We will list out the hospitals where it will be easy for the students to continue their internships. We are working on it.”
Three students interviewed by NepalMinute have welcomed the Council’s move:
Aayush Chandra, Lalitpur
It came quite late, but I welcome this decision. At least we can complete our studies now. Though the internship has not yet started, I am hopeful that I can start it and complete it. It should be started at the earliest. We have requested for an internship opportunity in governmental hospitals or in medical academies.
Prashiddha Dhakal, Kathmandu
The decision came quite late. Had the government made the decision much earlier, it would have been much better for us. We have spent a lot of money for our courses. We again need to spend money for internship here. A student has to spend between Rs 10,000-15,000 monthly for internships.
The practices for four subjects - medicine, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics and paediatrics - will be a revision for us as we have already practised it in China during our clinical practices. We have practised in Chinese hospitals. The health care system here and China are different. So it will be a different experience.
Sunij Yadav, Mahottari
The decision to allow internship opportunities in Nepal is a very good move. It did come a bit late, but it feels like our life will go on the track now on. We have been waiting for this decision. After the decision I have even filled out my form at the Health Ministry for internship.
I am hopeful that we can start the internship by the late July or by the first week of August.
