No compromise medical education standards, stresses NMC
According to the NMC, FMGs must strictly adhere to national regulations and guidelines set forth for medical practice in India.
This clarification comes in the wake of recent Andhra Pradesh High Court rulings, which allowed certain FMGs to obtain permanent registration despite gaps in their clinical education. In response, the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) has filed a review petition, seeking additional time and guidance on implementing the relevant rules.
The NMC has advised the APMC on specific procedures to be followed for granting permanent registration to FMGs.
Following the AP High Court's directives concerning FMGs who completed their studies abroad, the Andhra Pradesh government has approached the NMC for further clarification.
A key point emphasised by the NMC is that clinical training must be conducted offline. Online medical education will not be considered valid for registration purposes.
For students whose education was disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic or the Russia-Ukraine conflict — resulting in online coursework — the NMC indicated that these FMGs may be required to undertake an additional 1 to 2 years of internship in India, depending on individual circumstances.
Many students who pursued medical studies in Ukraine faced significant challenges in completing their education due to the ongoing conflict. In such cases, the NMC has directed that foreign universities must provide detailed certificates confirming the offline completion of clinical training. These certificates must be authenticated by the respective Indian embassies abroad.
Referring to the recent AP High Court orders regarding FMGs, the NMC cautioned that relaxing internship requirements based on isolated court rulings could jeopardize the goal of maintaining uniform national standards.
The Commission made these statements in the context of two separate orders from the Andhra Pradesh High Court granting permanent registration to FMGs.
The APMC, in coordination with the state government, has now filed a review petition to address the NMC's concerns.
The NMC reiterated that all FMGs are required to comply with the 2021 FMG Licentiate Regulations and the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) guidelines. State medical councils remain responsible for enforcing these standards before granting permanent registration.
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