FMGs protest against NMC rule insisting on 2-year CRMI from recognised institutes

New Delhi: The Foreign Medical Graduates wishing to continue their medical practice in India are facing uncertainty about their career and the possible loss of year with the National Medical Commission (NMC) insisting on two-years internship only from approved institutes.

Since NMC made the list of approved institutes public on October 21, 2022, the medical graduates from abroad who were already enrolled in the compulsory internship programme last year stand to lose one whole year out of their career. This is because the institutes where the FMGs got enrolled for Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) Programmes, have now been termed invalid by the Apex medical commission.

Protesting against this, hundreds of FMGs recently organized a protest in front of the NMC headquarters in Delhi. Terming the new CRMI rules totally unethical and discriminatory, the FMG students further demanded an immediate rollback of the NMC policy.

Also Read: NMC approaches Health Ministry over Supreme Court direction on Clinical Training of pandemic hit Foreign MBBS medicos

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had directed NMC for formulating policy for FMGs who have completed their medical education abroad but were unable to fulfill the requirement of practical training in their parent institutes outside of India due to COVID-19 pandemic or war situation.

Consequently, NMC had informed the Apex Court that final year medical students who returned to India due to COVID and Russia-Ukraine war and got degrees will be permitted for the FMGE exam.

In an affidavit on June 23, NMC had said upon qualifying the Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) exam, such foreign medical graduates will be required to undergo a Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for two years instead of the existing one year norm.

The foreign medical graduates will be eligible to get registration only after completing the CRMI for two years. The internship period has been doubled to make up for the clinical training which could not be physically attended by the foreign medical graduates during their course in the institutes abroad and to familiarise them with the practice of medicine under Indian conditions, the NMC affidavit had clarified.

Also Read: NMC relief: Final year MBBS medicos hit by COVID, Ukraine war can attempt FMGE, practice after 2 year Internship

Medical Dialogues had reported back in September that the NMC had warned the Foreign Medical Graduates against enrolling for CRMI programmes in the standalone PG institutes and non-teaching hospitals.

In this regard, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the Apex medical commission had made it clear that the FMGs should complete their internship in medical colleges or institutes that are approved for providing CRMI to Indian Medical Graduates.

Following this, back on October 21, 2022, NMC issued a public notice and referred to the queries regarding the medical colleges/ institutes allowed to conduct the CRMI programmes.

Publishing the list of institutes where the FMGs can get themselves enrolled for the Internship programme, NMC mentioned in the notice, "A State-wise list of such medical colleges/institutes which are allowed by the Commission to conduct CRMI for FMGs indicating the number of FMG seats, is attached herewith for dispersal of information among all concerned. The same has already been shared with all State Medical Councils and Directorate(s) of Medical Education by the UGMEB in the month of July 2022."'

Clearly, the NMC notice has put a question mark on the career of those medical graduates from abroad who had already got themselves enrolled for the CRMI programme last year. They are now facing the loss of one year since they are required to get enrolled for the Internship programme all over again in the institutes recognized  by the Apex Medical Commission.

The FMGs are also upset with the NMC requirement for the medical graduates from abroad to undergo two-years internship programmes. Protesting against the rules, the FMGs are now demanding to validate the internship of those who have joined non teaching and civil hospitals and are at the verge of completion or have completed, and to withdraw the 2 year internship rule,  

Further, the FMGs have demanded that the NMC should clarify all its rules to the State Medical Councils and offer a complete solution for those who are affected by Russia Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic.

The All India Medical Students' Association (AIMSA) has also come in support of the FMG students. Writing to the Union Health Minister and the President of UGMEB of NMC, the association stated, "Due to the misunderstanding/ miscommunication that has taken place between the NMC and the State Medical Councils in this matter, the FMGs as hardworking interns stand to lose a precious year of their careers as the hospitals they are interning in, are now considered invalid for CRMI, as per the CRMIregulations published on 18 November, 2021."

"Please consider their plight and excuse the FMG interns who started their 1 year CRMI prior to publication of the new list, as thousands of interns all over the country will suffer due to no particular fault of their own. Let them continue their 12 month CRMI prior where they are already pursuing and approve that," further mentioned the letter.

"Due to act of war and the COVID-19 pandemic, some FMGs had to leave the country in which they were studying, in the interest of personal safety, as was forced upon many other individuals as well. We request that this should not be the reason for their further suffering by having to do 2 years of internship. They were awarded their medical qualification according to the practical training requirements in our country, and have also proved their knowledge by passing FMGE. Hence, please consider to waive off the requirement of 2 year CRMI," it added.

Also Read: FMGs can do internship in only NMC recognised Medical Colleges: NMC