Can FMGs undergo practical training in India: HC asks NMC
Kochi: While considering pleas by foreign medicos from China, whose studies got affected due to the Pandemic, the Kerala High Court has recently sought to know from the National Medical Commission (NMC) about its views on permitting them undergo practical training in India.
This comes after the Union Government had informed the bench that the ultimate decision regarding clinical training of FMGs would be taken by NMC, the Apex medical education regulatory body in India.
Directing NMC to submit its views on the matter, the HC bench comprising of Justice VG Arun has listed the matter for further hearing on July 1, adds TOI.
After the pandemic disrupted the medical education for Indian students enrolled in Chinese institutes, several students had time and again approached the courts in India seeking relief. Thousands of such students got stuck at their homes for more than one year after the Covid-19 outbreak and they were unable to go back to their parent institutes in China as the Government in there had officially announced that foreign students and teachers would not return to their colleges until further notice.
Although the students were desperate to go back and they had sought the intervention of authorities including the Ministry of External Affairs, United Nations (UN), nothing has happened yet to solve the problems of these students.
Meanwhile, NMC denied recognizing the online studies of those students and the apex medical regulator also clarified that those students would not be allowed to attend the eligibility test in India as well.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that seeking relief, around 92 foreign medical students enrolled in medical universities in China approached the Kerala High Court bench and sought practical training and internship facilities in India.
Filed by a registered Association representing the foreign medical students, especially enrolled in China, the plea demanded practical training in India until the travel restrictions to China are lifted
Delhi High Court had earlier received a similar plea, where Indian Medical Students belonging to Chinese medical colleges had approached the HC seeking permission for pursuing their physical training in India.
When on the one hand, NMC arranged for supplementary practical classes for Indian medical students after the colleges re-opened, no such remedy could be availed by the foreign medical students enrolled in China.
Meanwhile, back in April, providing a major relief to the Foreign Medical Graduates from China who could not complete their Clinical Training due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court had directed the National Medical Commission to frame a scheme for such students within two months so that they get to finish their clinical training in India.
The top court bench comprising of justices Hemant Gupta and V Ramasubramanian had directed NMC, "i) to frame a scheme as a one time measure within two months to allow the student and such similarly situated students who have not actually completed clinical training to undergo clinical training in India in the medical colleges which may be identified by the appellant for a limited duration as may be specified by the appellant, on such charges which the appellant determines.
ii) It shall be open to the appellant to test the candidates in the scheme so framed in the manner within next one month, which it considers appropriate as to satisfy that such students are sufficiently trained to be provisionally registered to complete internship for 12 months."
While making such observations, the bench also emphasized on the importance of clinical training and noted, "..without practical training, there cannot be any Doctor who is expected to take care of the citizens of the country."
