New Delhi|HL
Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has written to Union Health Minister to intervene and address the issue of Foreign Medical Graduates students for permanent registration in India.
In a letter to Hon’ble Minister association also expressed gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi ji as due to his efforts thousands of students have returned to India and including Foreign Medical graduates also who faced major deficiencies in the attendance.
Mentioning about the subject Dr.Sarvesh Pandey, Secretary FORDA said that “MBBS students are troubled by the new rule of internship. In the Corona pandemic, the FMG graduates students who returned from abroad did the entire course offline, but due to Corona, they did online classes only for a few days, now due to this notification by NMC they have to do two years of internship. He told that while at the same time for students those studying MBBS online in India there is a rule to do only one year internship. He said that due to the notice issued by National Medical Commission, thousands of students are facing problems for permanent registration which is affecting their career.
NMC Notification says: In the notification by NMC of July 28 2022, said Indian students who were in the last year of their undergraduate medicine course (due to COVID 19, Russia-Ukraine war etc had to leave their foreign medical institute and return to India) ) and who have subsequently completed their studies and granted the certificate of completion of the course by their respective institute, on or before 30 June 2022, shall be permitted to appear in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
Thereafter, upon qualifying the FMG examination, such foreign medical graduates are required to undergo Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of two years to make up for the clinical training which could not be physically attended by them during the undergraduate medicine course in the foreign institute as also to familiarise them with the practice of medicine under Indian conditions.
The foreign medical graduates will be eligible to get registration only after completing the CRMI of two years. The mentioned relaxation is granted as a one time measure and shall not be treated as precedence in the future added in the notice by NMC.
FMGE Students facing problem & uncertainty: Around 4,000 of foreign medical graduates who returned to India during the COVID-19 pandemic are facing uncertainty and confusion regarding their Permanent Registration due to inconsistencies in the interpretation of a notice issued by the National Medical Commission. The notice, which allowed certain students with attendance deficiencies to appear in the Foreign Medical
Graduate Examination (FMGE) 2022, has created disparity among state medical councils, leaving many FMG graduates without the opportunity to contribute to the healthcare system says Dhriti Singh FMG student who completed her course from China and return to India during COVID.
We need clarity and fairness in Permanent Registration process. Discrepancies in the issuance of Permanent Registration causing confusion and uncertainty among FMG graduates. However, despite meeting the conditions set forth in the notice, they find themselves caught in a web of confusion as different state medical councils interpret the notice differently. While some state medical councils, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka,Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan , Orissa and Himachal Pradesh, Delhi (issued until mid November 2022) ,have issued Permanent Registration to FMG graduates from the 2015 and 2016 batches, who returned to India in 2020 due COVID pandemic and state like Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala have withheld or denied for registration. The situation becomes even more baffling when graduates from the same university and batch, are treated differently in terms of Permanent Registration issuance and issuance of further studies such as post graduation Dr. Dhriti added.
The inconsistencies in the Permanent Registration process have caused frustration and hindered the progress of these graduates. Despite successfully passing the FMGE and completing their internships, they find themselves unable to commence work or pursue post-graduation opportunities in some states. In a collective plea to the concerned authorities, the affected FMG graduates along with FORDA are urging for a fair resolution to the issue. She said we are thankful to FORDA who came forward and raised our genuine issue to Union Health Ministry. We urge government to bring a permanent and fair solution for all FMG students.
Further FMG student showing deeply concern about her friends and share with HealthLive that many of their batchmate’s family has taken loan and send them abroad for studies, this uncertainty is making them more weaker at both mentally and financially front.
We believe it is a imperative to address this inconsistency in the issuance of permanent registration for foreign medical graduates across various states in India. The current situation is in direct contravention to the principle of equality and fairness said Dr.Aviral Mathur, President FORDA. We urge union health minister to intervene in resolving this matter on priority to safeguarding future of thousands of Indian medical doctors.
Proposed Solutions by FORDA: Federation of Resident Doctors Association proposed few solutions as allowing the FMG who passed the FMGE before the issuance of the notice by NMC to obtain their permanent state registration. The other point FORDA suggest to exclude students who were already undergoing their internship or completed their internship from the purview of this notice, as their hospitals and provisional certificates based on the previous guidelines and to provide clarity and guidance to all state medical councils to ensure consistent and fair treatment of FMG students across the country.
Hope for fair response :The affected graduates appeal to the concerned authorities, seeking their benevolence and prompt attention to this matter. They emphasise the urgent need for a resolution to ensure that these talented healthcare professionals can begin their service without further delay, contributing their skills and knowledge to the betterment of society. As the affected foreign medical graduates await a response, it is hoped that a fair and consistent approach will be taken to resolve this issue, ensuring equal opportunities for all FMG graduates who have met the required criteria.
