NEW DELHI: After about six months of delay, Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) have been allotted internship seats, resolving a long-pending issue that had prevented many from beginning their mandatory training.
However, the FMG doctors in the city have said that despite the internship allotment, the issue of stipend approval still remains unresolved and has urged the authorities to expedite the process.
Dr Samar Kumar, national FMG in-charge of FAIMA and vice president (internal affairs) of AIMSA-FMSW and the All FMGs Association (AFA), said that the internship allotment was the result of months of collective efforts by FMGs and their representative bodies.
According to Dr Kumar, several representations and meetings were conducted with the Delhi Medical Council (DMC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the health secretary’s office and health minister Dr Pankaj Singh over the last few months to resolve the issue of internship allotment and stipends.
Acknowledging the role of the National Medical Commission (NMC), he said that continuous follow-ups by AIMSA-FMSW and the FMG Association led to the approval of additional internship seats. However, he said that there has been no update from the finance department regarding approval of stipends, even a week after internship allocation.
Dr Kumar said thousands of FMGs had already lost nearly five to six months due to delays even after the Supreme Court’s directions on stipend payments for FMG interns. The association has also urged the authorities to approve the stipend proposal and issue the official notification at the earliest, stressing that interns should receive the financial support they are entitled to during their mandatory training.
Earlier this month, several foreign medical graduate doctors protested outside the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) office, demanding an end to prolonged delays in the allotment of mandatory internships, which had left hundreds of them unable to begin their medical careers.
Doctors say
NMC approved additional internship seats following sustained follow-ups by FMG associations
Finance department has not yet cleared the stipend proposal
Authorities urged to notify stipend approval without further delay