Nepali MBBS graduates from Chinese varsities struggle as Beijing denies them re-entry for internships

Students from Nepal who have completed MBBS degrees from various Chinese universities are unable to intern in China as Beijing has not permitted them re-entry citing the COVID-19 pandemic, according to media reports.

According to Kathmandu Post, as many as 153 students who have completed their theory courses from China haven't been able to complete their studies as the northern country hasn't allowed them to return to Beijing citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kathmandu Post reported that the students had returned home to Nepal in early 2020 following an outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. They completed their theory education online and the universities have issued the certificates.

However, they haven't got their MBBS degree due to lack of internship experience.

An MBBS student needs a year of internship after five years of study. The students enrolled in 2015 and 2016 have suffered because China is not permitting them re-entry, the newspaper reported.

China was the most preferred destination for Nepali students to study medicine until the government decided to bar these students studying abroad from doing internships in Nepal. Now, most students travel to Bangladesh for MBBS studies.

The education consultancies who facilitated the students to get enrolled in the Chinese universities say most of the universities have embedded Chinese language in the five years course where the language is taught along with the core course.

"There is no additional one-year language course in most of the universities," Milan Gyawali, managing director at Speed International Education Consultancy.

"The students get the certificates of language study but the Nepal government is not accepting such certificates," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )