TN FMGs to Hold Protest over Delay in Eligibility Certificates

Chennai: Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Tamil Nadu are planning to hold a protest on July 5 against the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) over the alleged delay in granting provisional eligibility certificates to them.

Members of the Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE) and the FMG Wing of Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association (TNMSA) will participate in the protest demonstration.

The FMG wing of DASE and TNMSA held a state executives' meeting in T Nagar on Monday and during the meeting the associations demanded that the State Medical Council should stop neglecting the issues faced by the medical graduates from abroad.

Issuing a Press Release, the General Secretary of DASE, Dr. G.R Ravindranath demanded a provisional eligibility certificate for the FMGs within one month of application. This certificate is mandatory for the FMGs to be eligible to practise as a doctor. Dr. Ravindranath further added that the permission for training should be granted based on seniority on the date of application.

Highlighting that severe discrimination is being shown by TNMC in granting provisional eligibility certificates to the FMGs, the association decided to hold a protest demonstration in Chennai on July 5 "to condemn such negligent action by the TNMC".

Lauding the Chief Minister's intervention that 20 percent of the seats are granted to FMGs for internship, the association added in the release, "Out of the total training medical seats in medical colleges, currently 7.5 percent of FMG graduates are allowed to practice medical work. It should be increased to 20 percent. It is welcome that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has already written a letter to the Union Government to increase it to 20 percent. The Union Government should implement it immediately."

The association also demanded help centres at state levels to help FMGs address their problems and added, "Every year, more than 40,000 of our Indian students join medical studies in various countries. Help centers should be created at the All India and State levels to find solutions to the problems faced by those students. The Tamil Nadu Government should immediately create a help center for these students."

Further, the association demanded that the Medical Council should stop forcing the FMGs to undergo two or three years of internship as opposed to NMC regulations, which require them to undergo only one to two years of internship.

Pointing out that TNMC has stopped issuing provisional eligibility certificates to the Tamil Nadu based students who have completed their medical students in China for the last three months, the association demanded a stop to this practice, adding that "Steps should be taken to issue the certificates immediately."

Apart from this, the association opined that the State Government should provide hostel accommodation to FMG medical graduates working as trainee doctors in government medical colleges.

The association also criticised the Union Government's plans of starting a new MBBS-BAMS integrated course at JIPMER Medical College, Puduchery and mentioned that a seminar in Chennai would be held on July 5 evening to emphasize this.

Also Read: NMC to Open Portal for FMGE Eligibility Certificates applications, Check complete Details