Take Strict Action on Medical Colleges charging MBBS Internship fee, not paying stipend to FMGs: NMC orders State Counterparts

New Delhi: Taking note of the fact that despite earlier order, some of the medical institutes are charging Internship fee from Indian and FMG interns and denying to pay them stipend, the National Medical Commission has directed all the State Medical Councils and Directorates of Medical Education (DME) to take necessary action in this regard.

Issuing a circular yesterday, NMC, the Apex Medical Regulator noted, "It has been brought into the notice of the National Medical Commission through various sources that some medical colleges/ institutes across the country are charging internship fee from the interns, Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates for doing their internship in their colleges/ institutes and also not paying stipend to them."

Therefore, directing the authorities to ensure that the Foreign Medical Graduates are receiving similar facilities like the Indian Medical graduates, NMC stated in the circular, "All State Medical Councils and Directorates of Medical Education are requested to kindly take immediate necessary action in this regard and ensure that no internship fee is charged by the medical colleges/ institutes from these interns Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates and stipend including other facilities is being provided to FMGs as equivalent to Indian Medical Graduates in the States/ UTs."

Apart from this, NMC in the circular also addressed the fact that colleges are choosing limited number of Rural Health Centres for the purpose of Internship training resulting in huge crowd of interns at one centre. Referring to this problem, NMC mentioned, "As per the provisions of the NMC's CRMI Regulation 2021, interns (not more than 15 interns at any given time in one centre) are posted at Rural Health Centres for period of 12 weeks. However, it has been observed that due to paucity of Rural Centres adopted by colleges authorities, a large numbers of interns are posted in one Rural Centre. Therefore, the college authorities are advised to adopt more Rural Centres to accommodate internship training and also provide residential accommodation or transportation (to and from Rural Centres) to these interns at the cost of college authorities."

Also Read: NMC Relief: Equal Stipend, no extra fee for FMGs for Pursuing Internship in India

Earlier this year, Medical Dialogues had reported that providing major relief to the Foreign Medical Graduates who want to pursue internship in India, NMC had clarified that the Indian medical colleges shall not charge any fees from the medical graduates from abroad for permitting them to do internship in India.

In fact, the apex medical regulator had further made it clear that the FMGs would be paid equal stipend and other facilities just like the Indian Medical Graduates who are being trained at Government Medical Colleges.

The reason for such relief on NMC's part was the fact that the medical graduates from abroad were facing hardship in getting themselves registered in some of the State medical Councils after publication of Foreign Medical Graduates Licentiate Regulations, 2021 and Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship Regulations, 2021 by National Medical Commission.

The FMGL Regulations 2021, which was issued on November 18, 2021, had cleared mentioned about the mandatory criteria for getting a registration in India. Those criteria included an MBBS course with a minimum duration of fifty-four months, a mandatory twelve months internship in the same foreign medical institutes, supervised internship in India for twelve months, passing the National Exit Test, etc.

Also Read: New FMG Regulations 2021 and their implications on MBBS abroad

Clearly, those regulations had spelled out the doom for many foreign medical institutes offering MBBS course with duration less than fifty-four months, and also those institutes who offered only teaching facilities and not the training facilities.

Finally, earlier this year, NMC clarified that "the Foreign Medical Graduates(FMGs) who have acquired a foreign medical degree or primary qualification, as the case may be, and the candidates who have joined their education in foreign institutions, prior to 18th Nov, 2021, shall be governed by the provisions contained in previously applicable regulations, namely "The Screening 'Test Regulations 2002" and "The Eligibility Requirement for Taking Admission in an Undergraduate Medical Course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002".

Further addressing the problems faced by the Foreign medicos, NMC had mentioned in the circular that, "State Medical Councils should obtain an undertaking from the medical college that no amount/fee is charged by the medical college from the FMGs for permitting them to do their internship. "The stipend & other facilities to FMGs should be extended equivalent to Indian Medical Graduates being trained at Government Medical Colleges as fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the institution/University or State."

Even though NMC had provided relief to the Foreign Medical Graduates by allowing them equal facilities during internship and waiving off the internship fee, the top medical regulator noted that some of the medical colleges are not complying with those guidelines.

Therefore, referring to its previous guidelines, NMC mentioned in the Circular issued yesterday, "National Medical Commission vide circular dated 4th March 2022 also clarified that no amount/ fee is charged by the medical colleges from FMGs for permitting them to do their internship. The stipend & other facilities to FMGs should be extended equivalent to India Medical Graduates being trained at Government Medical Colleges as fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the institution/ University or State."

Addressing the issue that some of the medical colleges are not complying with these earlier instructions, NMC mentioned, "All State Medical Councils and Directorates of Medical Education are requested to kindly take immediate necessary action in this regard and ensure that no internship fee is charged by the medical colleges/ institutes from these interns Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates and stipend including other facilities is being provided to FMGs as equivalent to Indian Medical Graduates in the States/ UTs."

Also Read: Setback to MBBS Abroad candidates: SC upholds new NMC norms on FMG, CRMI

NMC also addressed the issue of Compulsory Rotatory Internship Regulations 2021, which came into effect last year and mentioned in the circular, "In this regard. it is informed that the previsions contained in the NMC's Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship Regulations 2021, which is applicable w.e.f. 18th November 2021, may kindly be read as under:

• All Foreign Medical Graduates, as regulated by the National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021, are required to undergo internship at par with Indian Medical Graduates if they desire to seek Permanent Registration to practice Medicine in India.
• All Foreign Medical Graduates, unless otherwise notified shall be required to undergo CRMI at par with India Medical Graduates after the National Exit Test Step-1 after NExT becomes operational.
• Foreign Medical Graduates who require to complete a period of Internship shall do so only in medical colleges or institutions approved for providing CRMI to India Medical Graduates;

a. Foreign Medical Graduates may be posted first in colleges which have been newly opened and have yet to be recognized;

b. May be posted to different medical colleges or institutions through a counseling or seat allocation process based on merit list;

c. Medical Colleges or institutions may allow up to 7.5 percent of their permitted quota of interns to accommodate internship by Foreign Medical Graduates." 

To view the official notice click on the following link:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/internship-176727.pdf

Also Read: NMC releases FAQs on CRMI Regulations 2021, Details