Foreign medical graduates' internship in limbo over stipend row, limited seats

Time of India

6 hours ago

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Jaipur: Nearly 100 foreign medical graduates (FMGs) in Rajasthan are facing an uncertain future as their mandatory internships at ESIC Medical College, Alwar, remain in limbo due to technical and administrative hurdles.
Despite the Rajasthan Medical Council's (RMC) allocation of internship positions five months after the foreign medical graduate examination (FMGE) results, these aspiring doctors are still waiting to begin their clinical training. The deadline for joining the internship passed on June 15, leaving the graduates in a state of distress while their peers at other institutions have already commenced their hospital duties.
The primary obstacle appears to be a complex web of limited number of seats, regulatory requirements and stipend-related issues.
Dr Asim Das, Dean of ESIC Hospital, cited multiple challenges, including conflicting guidelines from various authorities. "There's a Supreme Court ruling mandating stipends for all FMGs, while National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines allow paid internships for only 7.5% of total seats," Das said.
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"This is a govt organisation where we are answerable for the audit. So how do we then differentiate the payment of the stipend? The Rajasthan govt is saying give a stipend to 7.5% of FMGs, but the question is which 7.5% out of the 100 FMGs," said Das.
Adding to the complexity is the limited capacity at ESIC Medical College. With 100 internship seats available and an equal number of Indian medical graduates already competing for the same positions, the institution faces a significant logistical challenge.
"We have only 100 internship seats. There is going to be a clash of 100 FMGs and 100 Indian medical graduates against these seats," Das said.
"We're running from pillar to post, but neither ESIC is accepting our applications nor are the RMC and medical education department taking proper notice of our situation," said one affected foreign medical graduate, who requested anonymity.
The delay in internship completion could have serious implications for these graduates, potentially affecting their eligibility for medical practice and further studies, including post-graduation programmes.