Supreme Court Seeks response from NMC, Centre on Extended FMG Internship

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought a response from the National Medical Commission and the Central Government on a plea challenging the imposition of extended internship periods for foreign medical graduates (FMGs), who had to face disruption in their medical studies either due to the COVID-19 pandemic or the Russia-Ukraine war.

Issuing notice, the Apex Court bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih granted the Centre and NMC six weeks to file their response. 

Also Read: FMG Internship Extension from 2 to 3 years in MP: HC notice to state, NMC, Medical Council

Filing the plea, the Association of Doctors and Medical Students urged the Court to direct the authorities to devise a more equitable framework for compensatory internship or practical training, Lawtrend has reported.

The petitioners include the medical graduates from abroad who had returned to India during the pandemic or the war, and subsequently completed their education abroad and underwent an internship. Despite this, these students had to repeat extended internship periods to be eligible to practice in India.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, Senior advocate P V Dinesh clarified that the plea pertains solely to the FMGs who returned to Ukraine or China to complete their studies after the initial disruptions and have already completed their internships overseas.

In their plea, the petitioners argued that the FMGs can either practice abroad after completing their studies or return to India to practice, subject to clearing the screening test, i.e. Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBEMS).

The petitioners highlighted that the students had largely completed their theoretical education online, complemented by practical and clinical training in offline mode. However, they pointed out that due to the current public notices and circulars, FMGs who returned to India during the final year of their course must undergo two years of internship in India and those who returned earlier must complete three years of internship.

Referring to this, the plea stated, "This blanket requirement imposes undue hardship". The petitioners requested the National Medical Commission (NMC) to direct state medical councils to assess and address specific deficiencies in practical training on a case-by-case basis.

Further, the plea suggested permitting the medical graduates from abroad to fulfill missed practical requirements either through certificates from their parent institutes or by attending compensatory practical classes in Indian institutes.

It also cited the Supreme Court's April 29, 2022, decision, which had directed the NMC to frame a special scheme allowing the foreign MBBS students affected by the pandemic and the Ukraine war to complete their clinical training in Indian medical colleges. The matter will be taken up by the Supreme Court again after receiving responses from the Centre and concerned authorities.