Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Andhra Pradesh, who had applied for Permanent Registration (PR) upon completion of their Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) almost seven months ago, are still waiting for their PRs.

Why? The Andhra Pradesh Medical Council office (APMC) has clarified that per the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines issued on June 19 this year, only those with compensatory certificates from their parent universities can do a one-year internship.

Now, on Monday, December 9, over 50 FMGs and their parents staged a protest in front of the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council office (APMC) in Vijayawada, seeking clarification regarding the matter.

Speaking to EdexLive, an FMG from Andhra Pradesh said, on condition of anonymity, “We've been waiting for almost six to seven months without any updates from the medical council. Our question is, the whole world switched to online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, so why are these regulations being applied to us alone? My friends in Delhi, Punjab, and other states have already received their PRs."

FMGs have expressed frustration, stating that while a few have managed to obtain compensatory certificates from their parent universities, the state medical council is causing further delays.

Reports indicate that the APMC is sending these certificates for verification to the respective foreign embassies to ensure transparency, following concerns that some graduates may have submitted "fake" certificates to obtain PRs.

"The verification process is expected to take another four to five months," said one FMG, adding, “Meanwhile, the NMC has already released the schedule for NEET-PG 2025, which is set for June 15, and registration may begin as early as April. If the state medical council delays the process further, we may miss out on another year."