FMGs to stage hunger protest in Chennai to put forward demands

The Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE) and The Tamil Nadu Medical Students’ Association – Foreign Medical Graduates (FMG) Wing are jointly conducting a hunger strike protest on January 6 to put forward their demands including allotting 20% of the total Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) positions in medical colleges to FMGs and to permit them to undergo CRMI in district government hospitals.

A large number of students from Tamil Nadu go to countries such as the Philippines, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, China, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Mauritius, Singapore, and Malaysia to study medicine. Nearly 1,800 of these FMGs clear the qualifying examination conducted by the Central government every year. These graduates have been facing many hurdles recently, the associations said.

They urged the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Union government and the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) to increase the allocation of CRMI positions in medical colleges from the current 7.5% to 20% for graduates who have studied medicine abroad. NMC granted permission in 2022 for FMGs to undergo CRMI in district government hospitals but TNMC was not implementing it, the representatives said.

The Tamil Nadu government had granted permission for FMGs to undergo internship training in the 11 new government medical colleges. As a result, many of them undertook internships but this has now been stopped completely, the associations said, demanding that this should be restored.

TNMC should immediately stop the excessive delay in issuing Provisional Eligibility Certificates (PEC) for FMGs. Unlike in other States, and contrary to NMC rules, TNMC has issued orders stating that many FMGs must undergo two or three years of training as interns. This is highly condemnable, they said.

G.R. Ravindranath, general secretary of DASE, said nearly 2,000 FMGs were waiting for PEC. “The numbers have been accumulating. There is a delay of at least a year. As there are no elected members for TNMC, the State government should immediately intervene and address the issue,” he said.

They also demanded provision of hostel facilities for FMGs undergoing internship. Senior leaders from the Communist Party of India, Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) are expected to address the protest to be held in Chennai.