The parents of medical students stranded in Ukraine have urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to consider repatriating the students free of cost or at a minimal charge.
More than 1,000 students from Odisha are in Ukraine to study medicine in different medical universities. They are stranded there now and need to be evacuated.
The students who cannot afford to study in private medical universities of India usually go to Ukraine for medical education, as education is less expensive and of equal quality. While the parents of these students have appreciated the recent step of the Government of India in which it has issued directive to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in different corners of the world in a phased manner, they have resented the payment basis evacuation.
"Owing to the nationwide lockdown, it has been difficult to maintain a fair livelihood for most of them. The people working in private sectors and running business units have compromised with their economic condition beyond imagination. Under these circumstances, pay-to-evacuation option will be difficult for many parents," they said and urged the Government to facilitate this service for free or with minimal charges.
