More than 160 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Haryana are in limbo after failing to secure internship seats in the first round of counselling conducted by the Haryana Medical Council (HMC).
Despite having cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) over five months ago, the students say they have been unable to begin their mandatory internships due to a shortage of seats in the state.
The issue, students claim, has persisted for the past few years but has seen no structural resolution.
“This same issue has been happening in Haryana for the past two to three years,” said an FMG affected by the current crisis, on condition of anonymity.
“The Haryana Medical Council and the government already know how many students pass each year, they have the data. Yet the number of internship seats remains limited,” the student told EdexLive.
In this year’s counselling, around 490 seats were announced, while over 650 students had cleared the FMGE and were eligible.
“As of now, around 170 students have been left without seats. They’re not being allowed to proceed,” the student added.
The delay in internships has cascading effects: not only does it postpone their registration as doctors, but it also prevents them from applying to postgraduate courses or starting jobs.
Students point out that the issue is neither a new one nor limited to just one state. FMGs across India have been facing similar issues for a few years now.
“In Rajasthan, they initially announced 1,000 seats. However, when more students passed, they added 700 more seats within two to three months. Now, Rajasthan has 1,700 seats. But in Haryana, there’s no such move. This is the pattern every year,” another student said.
The students say they’ve reached out to authorities but have received vague responses.
“We emailed them. They told us they would conclude the first round, and then maybe something could be done. But even that wasn’t certain. The only thing they said was, ‘We’ll try’,” he added.
It may be noted that in the past, state governments have given approval to non-teaching hospitals to conduct internships for FMGs as a one-time measure to address similar concerns.
Currently, a group of students who have not been allotted seats is seeking an additional round of counselling or a similar one-time relief from the state government.
“We’re not asking for special treatment. We only ask that the authorities acknowledge the crisis and take urgent steps so that our careers are not derailed further,” the student added.
