Medical student Vaishnavi Gowardhan Wankhede remembers with terror the first time she heard an air raid siren. She was among the very few people in her college dorm at Ternopil, a city in the west of Ukraine, in September when the whining noise broke the eerie calm.
A third-year student at Ternopil National Medical University, Wankhede remembers rushing into the bunker then, sick with fear. Over the next months, the alarm has become a norm in her life. Now, she no longer hides in the bunker.
As petrifying as her story sounds, Wankhede, who hails from Maharashtra, is one of the few medical students who took the mammoth risk of returning to the war-torn country to resume her offline classes, which were cancelled when the war began.
As per government estimates, approximately 15,783 medical students returned from Ukraine. Till January, 170 students secured admissions to partner universities in different countries under the NMC's academic mobility programme. Over 14,973 continue their online classes.
A few among them decided to risk it for the lack of better options. Though there is no official estimate on how many students have returned to the war zone since, the number could be around 700, most among them senior-year students.
Justifying her decision, Wankhede said: "Even if I attended the online classes, it wouldn't have helped because the National Medical Commission insist a student complete 54 months of offline classes," Wankhede told The Week.
She understands the risks involved. "My parents tried to stop me. But, I wanted to finish my course. I managed to get a visa to Moldova. From there, I crossed the border to Ukraine," she added.
Wankhede says she was one of the first few people in her university to return to Ukraine in September. The dorm was mostly empty, except for a few students from Africa. By the next few months, a lot of students began to come back.
But, things were far from fine. Though Ternopil was not a war zone - one reason why her college was conducting offline classes - life was traumatising. "The initial months were calm but air sirens were daily reminders of what was happening in the country. Power cuts and water shortages were a norm, but a lot of students like me were ready to stand all sufferings so that we can continue our studies," Wankhede added.
But, the news of a new Russian offensive came as a shock. Wankhede no longer believes she can continue in Ukraine. "Though it would be extremely costly, I have sought a transfer to Uzbekistan. I don't know what lies ahead," she adds with desperation.
According to Wankhede and other students who managed to get back to Ukraine, they depended on the Moldova border for the same. However, by October, Moldovian authorities began monitoring its border with Ukraine, forcing these students to turn to Polish and Hungarian borders.
All three students who spoke to The Week said the Indian Embassy officials did warn them against returning.
Kerala native Dhyan Das (name changed) is another student who returned to Vinnytsia, a Ukrainian city targetted by Russian rockets. "Though we don't now go running to bunkers fearing Russian missiles, seeing a rocket zoom past my college building was terrifying. But, we have no choice but to risk our lives," said Das, a student at National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya.
However, the news of the second offensive forced him to flee Ukraine, at least till March. Currently in Germany, Das says he wants to return to Ukraine as soon as possible. "It is too risky in Ukraine as authorities expect Russia to launch the second offensive," he added.
Transferring to a college in another country is beyond Das's dreams. "My family has coughed up whatever they had. The transfer takes another five to six lakhs, which, at this point, is beyond our capacity," he added.
One reason the students risk their lives is the apparent delay by the Union government in deciding their future. Though the Ukraine-returned students filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking adequate infrastructure and academic and financial support to continue their education, the issue is still in court.
The apex court, while hearing a petition last month, had allowed the expert committee (established by the Centre in December) to find a workable solution for these medical students. The court had then said that a solution needed to be found soon since these students might prove to be national assets at a time when the nation is experiencing a doctor shortage.
But, the inordinate delay is proving costly for the students as it is already a year since they missed clinical practice.
Silvi Sunil, who is heading an organisation of Ukraine returned medical students, rues the system. "The expert committee is yet to decide something in our favour. They are also considering the students in the Philippines and China, which is unrelated to this situation as it was a Covid situation there. These are students who fled from a war situation and have zero options. The authorities need to provide them with facilities for clinical practice. The online classes are going well for them," Sunil added.
For students who couldn't return to Ukraine, the future looks equally terrifying. Muhammed Aslam P A, who is currently taking online classes, was a student of National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, when he fled Ukraine. "I cannot afford transfer at this point. It will cost me another six lakhs to arrange the transfer. I have already spent 27 lakhs. Unless the government intervenes, our dreams are in ruins," adds Aslam.