Srinagar, Apr 17: More than 170 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) from Jammu and Kashmir are on roads seeking internships in Government Medical Colleges and increase in the number of internship seats available for qualified doctors.
A representative of the FMGs said although there are 230 seats available for interns in Kashmir however, there are 400 qualified doctors who have passed the Foreign Medical Graduate exam and have been granted a license to practice medicine anywhere in India.
They said they can’t go back to the medical colleges where they did their MBBS and at the same time they are unable to take up internships in other states due to regulations.
“We appeal the health department and the concerned principals of Medical Colleges to take up the matter with the National Medical Commission (NMC) so that seats are increased and all the qualified doctors are accommodated for the internship,” one of the candidates said.
The FMGs requested the concerned authorities to take up the matter with the NMC so that they are accommodated without any further delay.
They said the same situation was faced by several students in other states in the country adding that states have increased the seats to ensure that all the FMGs are accommodated.
“We also seek the same because, this is not employment, but rather, it is training where we would be serving our people and we do not demand stipend,” they said.
Director (Coordination), New Medical Colleges, J&K, Dr Yashpal Sharma said the FMGs have returned back to Kashmir for their convenience and it is difficult to accommodate them.
“The government is trying to find out a way. Every year 300-400 candidates seek internships in medical colleges after coming from different countries including Bangladesh. We can’t accommodate all of them for internships and we can’t create seats for all of them,” he said.
Sharma said as per the NMC norms, medical colleges are only allowed to take 8 percent of the total seats allotted to them.
“We are looking for solutions. We are in the process to take up the matter with NMC. NMC needs to clear it whether they will improve the seats or not,” he said.
