FMGs seek fairness, certainty in issuance of permanent registrations by state medical councils, online petition filed

New Delhi: Addressing the concerns of the Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) who came back to India during the COVID-19 pandemic, an online petition has now been filed seeking equal state registration of such medical graduates from abroad and demanding "fairness and certainty" in the process.

Filed on change.org, the online plea was started on July 17, 2023, and it has already been signed by more than 600 people. Referring to the FMGs who came back to India during the pandemic, the plea pointed out that despite a solution provided for such students with attendance deficiencies, "a subsequent notice by the National Medical Commission (NMC) has resulted in inconsistent interpretations by state medical councils."

"This has led to uncertainty and confusion regarding the issuance of Permanent Registration for FMGs who have completed their studies and internships," the plea further stated.

It is mandatory for the FMGs to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) to obtain their permanent registrations. However, Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that after the FMGs returned back to India during the COVID pandemic and pursued their medical course online, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a notice dated 28.07.2022 and made it mandatory for the medical graduates from abroad to undergo two years of mandatory internship, instead of one, for being allowed to appear in the FMGE test.

In this regard, the plea has urged the authorities for reconsidering the issue and provide a fair resolution for the FMGs. In the plea, the medical graduates from abroad have been categorised into three types- those who passed the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), those undergoing internships at the time of the notice, those who have completed their internships.

Also Read: FMG Internship: Doctors Urge Health Minister for Permanent Registration of FMGs, point out discrepancies among states

"These students should not be subjected to the conditions in the July 2022 notice as their hospital placements and provisional certificates were based on previous guidelines. This approach will bring clarity and stability to their career paths," mentioned the plea.

"We humbly request authorities to consider the plight of Foreign Medical Graduates impacted by the inconsistencies in Permanent Registration. Granting Permanent Registration based on previous guidelines to FMGs in the mentioned categories will restore fairness, alleviate confusion, and enable them to pursue their careers and contribute to the healthcare system of our nation," it further added.

Earlier the issue of alleged disparities among the States in granting permanent registration to the FMGs was raised by the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA). Writing to the Union Health Minister, FORDA referred to the NMC notice dated 28.07.2022 and mentioned, "The government, recognizing the unique circumstances faced by these students, found a solution through the notice dated 28th July, 2022 (NMC/20659legal/2022/UGMEB). It allowed them to appear in the FMGE 2000 with the condition of a 2 (two) year Internship. These students are extremely thankful to the government for providing them with this opportunity."

The association also pointed out how there are disparities among the States regarding the implementation of this order and mentioned, "However, despite the government's proactive measures, confusion has arisen among various state medical councils regarding the interpretation and implementation of this notice. While some state medical councils such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Assam, Odisha, West Bengal and Rajasthan have issued permanent registration to FMG graduates from the 2015 and 2018 batches who returned to India due to COVID-19 in 2020 and completed their classes online, other state medical councils such as Delhi, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir. Punjab. Tamil Nadu, and Kerala have withheld or denied permanent registration."

As a result of this, FMG graduates from the same universities and batches, who completed their classes online and achieved identical milestones in term of passing MBBS, clear FMGE, and completing their internship are facing disparities and this is resulting in "significant distress and confusion among the affected students," FORDA pointed out in its letter addressed to the Health Minister last month.

Also Read: NMC upholds 2 year internship for FMGs who returned from Ukraine, China