TN Medical Council flags fake documents for FMG registration, 2 booked

Chennai: Two individuals have come under the radar of the Tamil Nadu Medical Council for allegedly attempting to register themselves with the council as foreign medical graduates (FMGs) by submitting fake documents.

During the verification of the documents, the council found that the certificates submitted by these two people were fake. The council rejected their documents for the safety of the public.

Due to the alleged criminal offence, the council filed a police complaint against the two accused persons at the Commissioner of Police’s office. As a result, the duo have been booked in connection with the case.

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TNIE reported that the incident came to light amid allegations from a section of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) who accused the council of delays in the issuance of provisional eligibility certificates.

However, in response to the allegations, the council clarified that the delays are due to the verification that takes time, as it involves coordination with multiple agencies, including scrutiny of screening test certificates, passport and travel details, embassy verification, and authentication of medical qualification certificates from the universities concerned.

The TNMC said each stage of verification follows a fixed timeline, and this process has helped identify several fake certificates. This includes the two people recently caught using fraudulent documents to claim themselves as foreign medical graduates (FMGs)

In a clarification issued on Tuesday, as reported by The Hindu, TNMC’s Registrar said, "Our role is limited to the issuing of provisional eligibility certificates and provisional registration certificates. For FMGs who undertook online courses/examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic and war, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a circular for the allotment of Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI). The duration of CRMI posting is followed in accordance with the NMC’s circular."

"The Directorate of Medical Education and Research had been allotting CRMI in NMC-recognised medical colleges as per the present quota of 7.5%, noting that there were still vacancies in some of these colleges. The NMC is functioning in a responsible and balanced manner in supporting FMGs, and also in identifying fake medical graduates to protect the public," mentioned the statement.

Medical Dialogues recently reported that a total of seven foreign medical graduates have been issued notices by the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) for allegedly securing registration with the Council without clearing the mandatory screening test, i.e., Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), by using wrongful means.

Also read- Maharashtra Medical Council issues notice to 7 FMGs for illegal registration