FMGs with course completion certificate allowed to appear for screening test: MoS Health

New Delhi: Ukraine returned medical students who came back home due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, are allowed to appear in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination if they have obtained the course completion certificate by their respective parent institute, the Minister of State for Health Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Parliament recently

Further, the MoS Health told the Rajya Sabha that after clearing the FMGE, these medicos will have to undergo Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of two years to make up for the clinical training that they could not complete in their parent institutes.

This comes after recently the Supreme Court had directed the Union Health Ministry and National Medical Commission to consider the situation of the Ukraine returned medicos on humanitarian ground.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that previously the Central Government had filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating that Indian medical students who returned from Ukraine cannot be accommodated in Indian universities as there is no provision in the National Medical Commission Act allowing it.

However, several Ukraine returned medical students had approached the Supreme Court requesting to provide clinical accommodations to the students of fourth, fifth and sixth-year batches as a "one-time measure". It was also stated that considering the fact that the students continued their classes online, they should be allowed practical and clinical training.

Also Read: Centre reiterates its inability to accommodate Ukraine returned medicos, Files affidavit on data of students availing Academic Mobility Programme

While considering the pleas by these students who could not complete their clinical training due to COVID-19 or war-torn situation, the Supreme Court recently asked the Union Ministry of Health, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home in consultation with the National Medical Commission (NMC) to find a solution for these students. 

"If no solution is found at this stage, their entire careers will be left at lurch and their families will be put at sufferance. Though we find that this is a fit case wherein some solution which must be evolved by the experts in the field, we refrain ourselves from issuing any directions. However, we request the Union of India, i.e the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home in consultation with the National Medical Commissions to find a solution to address this human problem. We are sure that the Union of India will give due importance to our suggestion and find out a solution so that the career of students, who are undisputedly an asset to the nation and particularly when there is a dearth of doctors in the country, will be positively addressed", observed the bench of justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath.

Now the Union Minister of State for Health Dr Pawar has informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply, "The National Medical Commission (NMC) has devised a scheme under which Indian students who were in the last year of their undergraduate medicine course (due to COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine conflict etc. had to leave their foreign medical institute) and have subsequently completed their studies as also have been granted certificate of completion of course/degree by the respective institute, on or before 30th June, 2022, are permitted to appear in Foreign Medical Graduate Examination."

"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 familiarize them with practice of medicine under Indian conditions. Foreign medical graduates get registration only after completing the CRMI of two years," further informed the Minister.

Dr. Pawar further informed the Parliament that the foreign medical students. graduates are either covered under "Screening Test Regulations, 2002" or "Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021". However, there are no such provisions in the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 & the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 as well as the Regulations to accommodate or transfer medical students from any foreign medical institutes to Indian medical colleges.

The minister further informed that there is no permission has been given by the NMC to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute/university.

As per information received from MEA, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv has communicated with all the concerned Universities in Ukraine for providing transcript and other documents in a smooth manner to the students. The details are available on the website of Embassy to assist students to address any related issues.