Foreign medical graduates protest in Delhi after MCD suspends internships
Foreign medical graduates (FMGs) gathered outside the Delhi Medical Council office on Monday, upset after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) suspended their required internship postings.
These internships are a must for FMGs to practice medicine or even take the NEET PG exam, but MCD put them on hold in April because there wasn't enough money for stipends.
National Medical Commission says stipends mandatory
The National Medical Commission (NMC) made it clear on April 8 that all interns, including FMGs, deserve stipends as a basic right.
Still, MCD canceled the postings on April 23, citing "administrative reasons," and said they were pending clarification from NMC after the Supreme Court orders.
Even when FMGs offered to skip or delay their stipends just to keep working, they were turned down.
Some students are worried about their careers stalling (one shared he only had three months of his internship left).
Health Minister Pankaj Singh has promised a review meeting to look for solutions.