Russia Ukraine war: NMC allows foreign medical graduates to complete internship in India

New Delhi, March 05: Amid the ongoing evacuation of Indian medical students from Ukraine, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has allowed Foreign Medical Graduates with incomplete internships, due to “compelling situations beyond their control” like the ‘Covid-19 pandemic’ or ‘war’, to apply here in India to complete their internships. The relaxation comes with a caveat that the medical student will have to clear the Foreign Medical graduates’ examination (FMGE) here in India to avail of this benefit. Also Read| Manipur Phase 2 elections 2022 Live Updates: Polling begins in 22 constituencies across 6 electoral districts “Considering the agony and stress faced by these foreign medical graduates, their application to complete the remaining part of the 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,” reads the order. The decision could be helpful for students who are returning from Ukraine and are on the verge of completing their final year of MBBS studies. The decision was already under process, coincidently it has come at the time of the Ukraine crisis, reported news agency. Also Read| Russia-Ukraine War Day 10 Live Updates: Russia ready to ‘bombard cities into submission’ Criteria for processing the case for grant of registration of FMGs:

1. The medical qualification/degree of FMGs 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.
2. Documentary evidence certifying successful completion of physical training or internship during the medical qualification equivalent to MBBS by FMGs, if conducted in foreign institute.
3. Copy of passport with VISA and immigration details of FMGs.
4. Foreign Medical Graduate Examination(FMGE) conducted by National Board of examination(NBE) should be cleared by the candidates seeking registration in India.
5. 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.
6. Internship shall be permissible in medical college hospital or hospital attached to medical colleges, permitted by the Commission.
7. The maximum quota for allocation of internship to FMGs must be restricted to additional 7.5% of total permitted seats in a medical college.
8. State Medical Councils should obtain an undertaking from the medical college that no amount/fcc is charged by the medical college from the FMGs for permitting them to do their internship. The stipend and 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.

Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya regarding the fate and future of all MBBS students admitted to Medical schools or colleges in Ukraine and now returning to India due to the situation there. -PTC News