New Delhi: FMG Stipend Issue Raised in Apex Court

The issue of non-payment of stipends to the Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) during their internship has been raised once again before the Apex Court. The medicos filed a plea seeking regular monthly stipends for medical graduates from abroad pursuing compulsory internships at different government medical colleges, teaching and non-teaching institutes in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

While considering the pleas, the Supreme Court bench on Monday issued notice to:

• 11 Government Medical Colleges
• 6 teaching and non-teaching hospitals
• The Directorate of Medical Education (DME)
• The Directorate of Health Services
• The Kerala State Medical Council
• The Kerala Government
• The National Medical Commission (NMC)

This is the first case in which the non-teaching hospitals have also been made a party in the plea seeking stipends during the FMG internship. "Issue Notice", the Apex Court bench of Justices B R Gavai and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra ordered on 14.10.2024.

While the plea seeking stipends for the FMGs from a few medical colleges in the State of Kerala was filed through the Association of Doctors and Medical Students, the plea for the FMGs from a few colleges from the State of Andhra Pradesh was filed through the FMGs themselves, ANI has reported. The petitioners, Foreign Medical Graduates, were represented through advocate Tanvi Dubey.

Also Read: FMGs challenge Non-Payment of Stipend, Supreme Court Issues Notice

In the plea, the petitioners argued that non-payment of stipend clearly violates their fundamental rights. They also mentioned in the plea that if a few other colleges were paying stipends to the Foreign Medical Graduates, why were they being discriminated against?

Further, the petitioners have argued that there should be no discrimination between the Indian Medical Graduates and the Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs).

Issuing notice in both the pleas, the Supreme Court tagged them with the matters concerning the payment of stipends to medical graduates from abroad, which are pending adjudication.

It had previously been reported that earlier this year, while considering a similar issue, the Supreme Court had observed that the FMGs cannot be treated differently and should be paid stipends during their internship like their counterparts who have done MBBS from the Indian Medical Colleges.

This observation was made by the top court bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prasanna Bhalachandra after taking note of the submissions of lawyer Tanvi Dubey, appearing for a group of doctors, that foreign medical graduates in certain medical colleges are not being paid stipends during their internships.

To view the Supreme Court order, click on the link below:
Supreme Court Order

Also Read: Supreme Court relief: FMGs to now get stipend during internship as Indian MBBS interns