The National Medical Commission (NMC) has warned medical college hospitals against charging fee from Indian and foreign medical graduates for their internship programmes. They have been told that non-payment of stipend is not acceptable as well.
In a circular on May 19, the NMC said it had already clarified on March 4 that “no amount of fee” should be charged by medical colleges for permitting foreign medical graduates to complete their internship here. The stipend and other facilities to them should be equivalent to what are being given to Indian medical graduates being trained in government medical colleges “as fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the institution/university or State.”
The foreign medical graduates may first be posted in newly opened medical colleges that are yet to be recognised by the appropriate authority. Based on merit, they may be later sent to other institutions through counselling or seat allocation. Up to 7.5% of the permitted quota of interns shall be devoted to foreign medical graduates, the commission said. The NMC directed all State Medical Councils and Directorates of Medical Education to take action against those who violate the rules.
Meanwhile, the commission also advised medical colleges to adopt more health centres in villages for the rural service of medical graduates. “Due to paucity of rural centres adopted by college authorities, a large number of interns are posted in one rural centre,” the circular said. According to provisions of the Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship Regulations 2021, not more than 15 interns shall be posted at a time in one centre for 12 weeks. Thus, the commission wants medical colleges to adopt more rural centres to accommodate more interns for training and provide either residential premises to them or arrange transportation to these places.
