China is like my second home. I love Wuhan, the city where I am based now. It was only a few days ago that the city was locked down. A few students from my college left immediately after they heard about the possibility of a lockdown, but I could not. I was planning to come to India later, and had booked my tickets. I stayed back also because I am a prospective doctor, and medical ethics do not allow me to leave when people around me are falling ill. I have been advised to stay inside the hostel and go out only if necessary. There are very few people on the streets here.
The Wuhan University School of Medicine is providing me and the remaining 50 or so Indian students with every possible help. For example, free food is delivered to our rooms thrice a day. Some of my friends left from the nearest railway station before the city was locked down. I thought it was not safe to go there at that time, as the railway station was reportedly a hub of the outbreak. I also thought that the situation would improve soon.
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The Indian embassy in Beijing has been of immense help. The officials are in regular touch, and have created groups on social media to help Indians stranded in Wuhan. I heard that the Indian external affairs ministry is sending a flight to take us home. I am looking forward to that. Officials from the embassy have asked me and others to sign a consent form on email, which states that we will be in quarantine for 14 days on arrival in India.
—As told to Anirudha Karindalam
Faizal is a fifth year MBBS student at the Wuhan University School of Medicine.