Indian Intern Vaibhavi Nazare Decided to Stay Back in Ukraine And Serve amidst The Ukraine War

When war broke out in Ukraine, numerous students fled to safer grounds but one Indian girl Vaibhavi Nazare decided not to leave the war-torn country.

Vaibhavi moved to Ukraine in 2017 when she was only nineteen years old. Since the age of three, her sole goal has been to become a Doctor. 

In Ukraine, she dedicated six years towards her studies as an undergraduate in general medicine and now in her seventh year she is doing her post graduation in general surgery. 

Despite the high risks to her life, Vaibhavi resolved to stay back and serve her patients during the war. Even though her bright future lay ahead of her, she ignored the risks and remained committed to her work. She worked endlessly in the emergency section of a reputed Kyiv hospital. With the help of friends, colleagues and senior doctors, Vaibhavi learned the local language. 

Amidst the chaos, her worried parents were determined to bring her back to India. They were scared about the possibility of Vaibahvi having to walk to Poland to be rescued. “We had a whatsapp group of parents, we were all trying to get our children back. Everyone was fearful. Then, Vaibhavi told us she didn’t want to come back. I can’t express how I felt at that moment. Every day in the news we would see, this group is back to India, that group is back. Only my Vaibhavi was left there.”

Vaibhavi’s parents were ultimately left with no choice but to support their daughter. They pray for their daughter’s safety everyday as well as the safety of other Ukrainian citizens. Vaibhavi also makes it a point to regularly update her parents about the situation in Ukraine. Surprisingly, after moving to Ukraine in 2017, she met her parents only once in 2019. 

“Something in me urged me to stay back. As several colleagues and seniors were leaving, I realised the staff would run short of hands.This is the time when people need to look after each other and prioritise what is important. I thought if this was my country, I believed everyone would have done the same. If one is facing hard times, it’s our duty to help,” said Vaibhavi.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba was under her care at the hospital after he experienced a dog bite. A colleague introduced Vaibhavi and narrated her story to the minister. Later that day, the minister appreciated her work on social media. He wrote, “It is symbolic that an intern from India, who stayed to study and work in Ukraine after the invasion, was on duty for my injury.”

The appreciation from the minister has motivated Vaibhavi to strive for excellence in her profession everyday . “Most students from my batch returned back to English speaking countries. The support I am getting here from everyone motivates me everyday. It feels great to get whole-hearted acceptance at your workplace.”, the young doctor expresses. 

“We feel proud, our girl from Pune is making a name in Europe”, her mother Kumudini acknowledged. The parents hope that Vaibhavi Nazare gets a letter of appreciation from the government thereby inspiring other women to excel in their career goals.