FMG Stipend Issue in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Jammu and Kashmir, who have joined the mandatory internship in the medical colleges, are not receiving any stipend. While the FMGs are complaining about the issue, officials have explained that considering the significant number of FMGs, it is not possible to provide a stipend to the FMGs because of financial implications involved.

Last year, it was reported that providing major relief to the Foreign Medical Graduates who want to pursue internship in India, NMC had clarified that the Indian medical colleges shall not charge any fees from the medical graduates from abroad for permitting them to do internship in India.

In fact, the apex medical regulator had further made it clear that the FMGs would be paid equal stipend and other facilities just like the Indian Medical Graduates who are being trained at Government Medical Colleges.

Also Read: FMG internship in India: NMC releases clarification on CRMI, check out details

As per the latest media report by Daily Excelsior, nearly 350 FMGs are currently undergoing internships in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. They were accommodated by the Government through the allocation of necessary seats in the new medical colleges as a one-time measure. However, these interns are not receiving any stipend, and referring to the issue, one FMG told the Daily, "There is a provision for our stipends as per the NMC directives, but it has been left to the respective authorities to determine and provide the stipends. So far, we have not received any stipend."

Meanwhile, addressing the issue of stipends for the FMGs, earlier this year NMC clarified that considering the fact that there is no budgetary provision to provide stipend to the FMGs, the implementation of NMC guidelines regarding payment of stipend will be solely at the discretion of the concerned State authorities.

NMC mentioned, "National Medical Commission vide Circular dated 19.05.2022, requested to all Directorates of Medical Education & State Medical Councils to ensure that no internship fee is charged by the medical colleges/institutes from these interns Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates and stipend including other facilities is being provided to FMGs as equivalent to Indian Medical Graduates in the States/UTs."

"However, considering the requests/representations from various State Governments/UTs/medical colleges wherein it was intimated that there has been no budgetary provision in their allocation of annual budget to provide stipend to Foreign Medical Graduates, the Commission vide circular dated 19.10.2022 has already clarified that the amount of stipend to be paid to the interns is to be decided/fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the Institution/University or State. The implementation of these guidelines/instructions/advisory is solely at the discretion of the concerned State authorities under which the medical college/institute is located," it added.

Referring to this, the officials in Jammu and Kashmir also pointed out the reason for not paying stipends to the FMGs. One official told the Daily, "We currently have the highest number of FMGs in J&K. Initially, accommodating them for the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) was already a challenge. But we made the necessary adjustments. However, now, providing them stipends comes with financial implications."

The Daily further adds that previously when the FMGs passed the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), the number of qualified doctors far exceeded the available seats.

Responding to this, the authorities took necessary measures as a one-time solution, and these doctors were allocated seats through counselling conducted by the University of Kashmir on the basis of their FMGE score.

Sources informed the Daily that some of the Medical Colleges approached the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department to ensure budgetary provision for FMG stipends. However, they noted that the authorities are currently unwilling to ensure it.

Meanwhile, commenting on the matter, officials from the J & K Medical Council informed the Daily on the condition of anonymity that there is a provision for FMG stipends, with the expectation that these stipends will be managed by the concerned Medical Colleges using their budgetary allocations.

However, the H&ME Department has not yet allocated a budget for the Medical Colleges accommodating FMGs for CRMI. As a result of this, the issue of the FMG stipend is still continuing in the UT.

Also Read: Take Strict Action on Medical Colleges charging MBBS Internship fee, not paying stipend to FMGs: NMC orders State Counterparts