The Gujarat Medical Council has reached out to the National Medical Commission (NMC) regarding the issue of MBBS graduates from the Philippines who have not received their permanent registration numbers. The graduates belong to the December 2022 batch and have complained that they have not received their registration numbers even though they studied in the same country and the same colleges as the June 2022 batch of students. In the case of the June batch, they were issued their permanent registration numbers by NMC after they completed their MBBS degree in the Philippines and returned to India.
According to sources, MBBS graduates from the Philippines before November 18, 2021, are not required to complete the one-year internship after returning to India. However, this rule does not apply to students who returned in 2022.
The National Medical Commission had notified the National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021, to seal the fate of foreign medical education courses and end speculations surrounding them. The regulations came into effect on November 18, 2021, and are applicable to all admissions after that date.
The NMC FMGL rules 2021 mandate several conditions that FMGs need to fulfill, including completing a supervised internship in India for a minimum of twelve months.
The MBBS graduates from the Philippines have made multiple complaints to the Gujarat Medical Council, pointing out that without permanent registration numbers, they cannot register themselves for postgraduate exams. The graduates have demanded an immediate solution, calling the disparity in NMC rules unfair.
Sources at the Gujarat Medical Council have informed the media that they have sought clarification from the Commission regarding the disparity in the rules. After receiving a response from the Commission, the Council will issue permanent registration numbers to the foreign medical graduates.
The issue highlights the importance of standardization in medical education and the need for clear and transparent regulations to govern foreign medical education courses. The NMC and other medical education regulatory bodies must work towards creating a fair and transparent system that ensures that all MBBS graduates, irrespective of their country of study, are treated equally and have access to the same opportunities.
