Limited Number of Internship Seats Available: JnK FMGs Seek NMC Intervention

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Medical Students recently staged a protest at Press Colony in Srinagar raising their voice against the limited number of internship seats available for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs).

Voicing their concerns regarding the alleged lack of support from the authorities, the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Students' Association (JKMSA) , representing the medical graduates from abroad, has demanded an immediate resolution of the internship seat issue, allocation of seats in non-teaching hospitals to reduce overcrowding and an acknowledgement and assurance of their grievances by the authorities.

According to the existing rules, it is mandatory for the FMGs to obtain provisional registration from the State Medical Council and thereafter complete a mandatory one-year Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) at a government medical college.

Earlier on September 28, the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council released a public notice highlighting their responsibilities to allot seats for the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) based on the merit of the applicants and the availability of seats in the government and private medical institutes across the State.

However, referring to the limited number of available internship seats, the notice mentioned, "Due to limited availability of seats, you are advised to ascertain/verify the seats availability in J&K and shall also simultaneously find out the ways to get internship done across India or from Parent College (where it is recognized by the NMC)."

Also Read: FMG Internship in Punjab: Only 36 out of 73 FMGs Allotted Seats

As per the latest media report by Edex Live, the students have argued that finding internship seats outside Jammu and Kashmir is difficult. Commenting on the matter, an FMG student who participated in the protest on Saturday told the Daily, "We are asked to go to other states, but many of them have already closed their registrations and are only accepting interns from their state. The root issue is that the J&K council is not accommodating us."

The Daily has reported that two days before the protest, the representatives of the medical graduates from abroad met with the council officials to present their demands. However, as per the students the meeting was unproductive. In this regard, the student mentioned, "There were no assurances given, and the officials did not respond positively."

Amid this situation, the protesting FMGs urged the National Medical Commission (NMC) to intervene, citing concerns that many of the students are at risk of "wasting another year" owing to a lack of internship opportunities.

"There are 150 of us, and our state has enough hospitals to accommodate us, but they’re saying there are only 20 seats available. The rest of us will likely have to waste another year," the student explained.

Speaking to Edex Live, one anonymous member of JKMSA added, "We just want the NMC (National Medical Commission) to accommodate all of us. We are also a part of this country, so why are we treated differently?"

Expressing similar opinion, the Founder of the JKMSA highlighted the urgency of the situation and said, "NMC needs to treat J&K like any other state. Our students are in a confused state of mind. Families have given everything they can to support their education, and now their future is in jeopardy."

"Initially, there were no seats available, and we protested. Now, there are a few seats, but they are not enough. That’s why we are forced to protest again," Dr. Khan added.

"Why are FMGs facing injustice? Aren't they citizens of this country? Why is the (NMC) toying with FMGs' futures? Jammu and Kashmir desperately needs more seats for FMGs, yet our repeated requests to NMC have fallen on deaf ears. We urge the high command to intervene and resolve this long-standing issue. We look forward to FMGs being provided internship opportunities at the earliest," the association mentioned in an X (formerly Twitter) post.

Also Read: NMC gets SC notice on plea by FMGs seeking stipend during mandatory internship