Punjab: Foreign medical graduates ask govt to increase internship slots for them
Faridkot, June 26
The lack of available seats for internship training for foreign medical graduates (FMG) in the state is posing a significant challenge to these doctors-in-making.
Against 73 FMG applicants who are waiting for starting of their one-year internship to become a full-fledged doctor, the Punjab Medical Council (PMC) offered them 36 seats on Tuesday.
These 73 FMGs in Punjab have been waiting to start their internship since February 7 after they had passed the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE). While Punjab has 11 medical colleges, the PMC has offered 36 seats at three colleges (27 at Faridkot, eight at Patiala and one at DMC Ludhiana).
FMGE is a screening test for Indian citizens who hold a medical qualification from abroad and plan to practise medicine in India. Last time it was conducted in January, 2024, and result was declared on February 7. Next FMGE is schedule for July 6.
While some colleges have already filled their internship quota, some private colleges are not interested in offering the internship program to FMG as they don’t want to pay the stipend to the intern doctors.
Dr Akash Deep Aggarwal, PMC Registrar said, “We can’t force autonomous medical institutes to admit FMGs for internship as it their prerogative. In October 2023, the PMC had offered 100 seats to FMGs for internship.”
The FMGs said situation will be more difficult when the number of FMGs will increase after the new FMGE gets conducted next month.
They proposed a solution to allow FMGs to undergo internship training at non-medical institutes as the PMC did the last year. Last year, 50 FMGs from Punjab were sent to Government Multi Specialty Hospital in Chandigarh for internship.
PMC Registrar Aggarwal said they cannot force the Chandigarh hospital for the internship of state students since it was their prerogative. As many as 46 of these FMG interns were shifted from Chandigarh hospital to Mohali, Faridkot, Patiala and Jalandhar medical colleges.
