KATHMANDU: The students, who passed MBBS from various Chinese universities, had come to Nepal due to world spreading coronavirus pandemic but could not return to China, will now be able to do internships in Nepal.

The students, who had repeatedly joined the agitation demanding internship opportunities in Nepal, had also staged a protest at Maitghar Mandala on Thursday. After the agitation, the Nepal Medical Council (NMC) stated that it will allow students to do internship within a few days.

One of the agitating students informed Khabarhub that the council sent an email on Thursday promising students to permit internship in Nepal.

Dr. Krishna Prasad Adhikari, Registrar of the Council, said that the students have been requested to come to the Council with the necessary documents for the internship.

According to him, the students who passed MBBS in 2014 at a Chinese university, and are interested to intern here, will now be allowed to do internship. The demand of the students of 2015 and 2016 will be discussed and decided later.

The registrar said that the students should find a teaching hospital for the internship themselves.

According to him, students can do internship in any hospital with a capacity of 100 beds and a department with at least three teachers in each department.

“Students will be allowed to do internships in government, private or medical colleges, but the educational institutions must meet the criteria set by the council,” Registrar Adhikari said.

He informed that hospitals and medical colleges would not be allowed to charge fees for internships.

“We will take action as per the law if we find that the fee has been collected,” he told Khabarhub.

The Medical Education Commission has already called for applications for internships.

The commission had issued a notice on July 8 stating that the students who had passed MBBM abroad but could not do the internship due to the corona epidemic would be allowed to complete the remaining period of internship in Nepal for once. However, the procedure was in pending waiting for NMC approval.

The fate of the students of 2015 and 2016 batch still uncertain

The future of the MBBS students of 2015 and 2016 batch who came to Nepal from China during the coronavirus pandemic in 2015 and 2016 is still uncertain.

They have been demanding that the Nepali government should allow them to do internship in Nepal or create conducive environment for them to go to China.

These students had also been studying in various universities in China.

“Nepal government has refrained from acting saying that it cannot do anything while the Chinese government has also shown indifference towards the future of the students,” a student of 2015 batch told Khabarhub with a sigh, adding, “We have written to the Chinese government and the university four times to arrange for an internship, ​​but there has been no response from the Chinese government,” he said.

Around 300 students of 2015 and 2016 are facing uncertainty due to the ‘indifference’ of these two governments.