New Delhi: Amid the ongoing evacuation of Indian medical students from crisis-hit Ukraine, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has allowed the foreign medical graduates with incomplete internships due to compelling situations like the “Covid-19 and war” to apply to complete internships in India if they clear the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE).
The guidelines issued said it has been observed that there are also some foreign medical graduates with incomplete internship due to such compelling situation which is beyond their control.
“Considering the agony & stress faced by these foreign medical graduates, their application to complete the remaining part of internship in India is considered eligible. Accordingly, the same may be processed by State Medical Councils provided that the candidates must have cleared FMGE before applying for completion of internship in India,” the guidelines added, ANI reported.
The guidelines said that it has been brought into the notice of the National Medical Commission that Foreign Medical Graduates are “facing hardship in getting themselves registered” in some of State Medical Councils after publication of Foreign Medical Graduates Licentiate Regulations, 2021 and Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship Regulations, 2021 by National Medical Commission.
Taking into the consideration all the relevant provisions of NMC's Regulations and circumstances, the Commission has decided to issue the detailed guidelines/process which is required to be followed by the State Medical Councils for grant of registration of FMGs till further instructions from the Commission or implementation of the next exam, whichever occurs earlier.
“State Medical Councils should ensure the following conditions/criteria while processing the case for grant of registration of FMGs,” the guidelines added.
The guidelines said the medical qualification/degree must be registerable to practice medicine in their respective jurisdiction of the country in which the medical degree is awarded and at par with the license to practice medicine given to citizen of that country.
“Documentary evidence certifying successful completion of physical training or internship during the medical qualification equivalent to MBBS, if conducted in foreign institute,” the guidelines added.
“Copy of passport with VISA and immigration details. Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) conducted by National Board of Examination (NBE) should be cleared by the candidates’ seeking registration in India,” the guidelines added.
The guidelines said: “If the candidate is found fulfilling all the above mentioned criteria, provisional registration may be granted by State Medical Councils for 12 month internship or balance period, as the case may be.”
“Internship shall be permissible in medical college hospital or hospital attached to medical colleges, permitted by the Commission. The maximum quota for allocation of internship to FMGs must be restricted to additional 7.5% of total permitted seats in a medical college,” the guidelines added.
The guidelines further said the 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,” the guidelines added.