Many of these FMGs have been waiting for over 13 months, unable to begin medical practice or apply for postgraduate courses.
Published Jul 05, 2025 | 4:34 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 05, 2025 | 4:34 PM
FMGs protesting in Andhra Pradesh. (official_afa_/ X)
Synopsis: Nearly 500 Foreign Medical Graduates in Andhra Pradesh face delays in receiving Permanent Registration certificates despite completing mandated internships. Bureaucratic hurdles, evolving NMC guidelines, and unclear documentation requirements have stalled their careers. Protests erupted, drawing police action and political attention. The APMC cites legal compliance, while FMGs and opposition leaders urge urgent resolution to prevent further setbacks for qualified young doctors.
Nearly 500 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Andhra Pradesh are caught in administrative limbo, with delays in obtaining their Permanent Registration (PR) certificates from the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC), despite completing internships as mandated by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
Many of these FMGs have been waiting for over 13 months, unable to begin medical practice or apply for postgraduate courses.
The process, FMGs allege, has been hampered by bureaucratic delays, even after the formation of a new APMC three months ago. The registrar’s office is yet to begin shortlisting eligible candidates under the NMC’s norms, prolonging uncertainty for the young doctors.
The permanent registration certificate serves as the official license that allows medical graduates to practice medicine legally in India. Without this crucial document, FMGs cannot work as independent practitioners, join hospitals as resident doctors, or apply for postgraduate medical courses including MD, MS, or diploma programs.
The PR certificate essentially validates their medical qualifications and internship completion, making it mandatory for any form of medical practice or career advancement in the Indian healthcare system. It also serves as proof of professional competency required for employment in both government and private healthcare institutions.
The prolonged delay has prevented these doctors from practicing medicine independently and applying for postgraduate courses, causing career setbacks and emotional distress among the affected graduates.
In response to the growing discontent, APMC Chairman Dr Srihari Rao and Registrar Dr Ramesh issued a statement on Friday, 4 July, explaining the Council’s actions.
“The FMGs who passed the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination conducted by the National Board of Examinations in January 2023 were, for the first time, allotted internship positions across all medical colleges in the state, as per the instructions issued by the National Medical Commission,” said the officials.
The NMC had issued revised internship and clerkship guidelines in late 2023, based on the disruption in medical education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war.
FMGs who completed their entire course abroad were required to undergo a one year internship in India. Those who studied their final year—or both pre-final and final years—online from India were asked to complete two or three years of clerkship and internship, depending on the period of online education, to compensate for the lost clinical exposure.
“When these FMGs were doing their internship, NMC issued fresh guidelines in November and December 2023 stating that FMGs who studied their penultimate and final years online from India must do two years of clerkship followed by one year of internship to compensate for clinical training loss,” the officials reiterated.
“For those who studied only the final year online, one year of clerkship followed by a one-year internship was mandated.”
Many FMGs complied with these guidelines and completed the extended training but are yet to receive their PR certificates.
The behavior of the Andhra Pradesh police is utterly brutal. It’s heartbreaking to see doctors sitting on the roads, peacefully demanding their rights.
Despite completing their internships, the APMC registrar is still refusing to issue permanent registration, even after the NMC… https://t.co/nCkJraqJCk pic.twitter.com/POyMRglJQ5— ALL FMGs ASSOCIATION(AFA) (@official_afa_) July 3, 2025
The Council said that based on these instructions, principals of all medical colleges were directed to inform the FMGs, and many continued with the second year of their clerkship or internship. Some FMGs, however, resisted this requirement and approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
“The High Court dismissed their plea, upholding that all rules issued by the Government of India and NMC must be followed. One FMG has filed an appeal, and the judgement is reserved,” APMC said.
Despite this legal context, several FMGs resumed their clerkship and internship. The Council maintains that it has adhered strictly to all rules and notices issued by the NMC.
Frustrated by the delay, FMGs launched silent protests—including one on National Doctors’ Day (1 July). Police disrupted the protests, prompting criticism from the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors’ Association (APJUDA), the Andhra Pradesh Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (APNA), and opposition leaders.
This is how we were treated on Doctors day
When we AP fmgs are fighting for our permanent registrations which were hold since last 1 and half year due to register.@ncbn @PawanKalyan @NMC_IND @DrDhruvchauhan @official_afa_ pic.twitter.com/OW46laI649— Vamsi Krishna (@VamsiROY055) July 1, 2025
“The FMGs, without waiting for the final judgement, suddenly started dharnas which the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council is not aware of,” said APMC. “On 1 July 2025, the Health Minister for Health and Family Welfare, who was invited to Doctor’s Day celebrations at Dr NTR University of Health Sciences, met the agitating FMGs, heard their grievances, and assured them that he would discuss the matter with APMC,” they added.
APMC added, “The Hon’ble Minister conducted a meeting on 2 July 2025 and instructed the Chairman and Registrar to take up the issue with the NMC in Delhi. We have agreed to visit Delhi for this purpose.”
However, APMC also noted that “the compensation certificates submitted by most FMGs are not justified” and that “the allotment letter issued by Andhra Pradesh Medical Council for two years of internship is justified.”
Opposition YSRCP MP Maddila Gurumoorthy also weighed in on the matter, urging immediate intervention.
“I write to seek your immediate attention regarding the difficulties being faced by several Foreign Medical Graduates from Andhra Pradesh in securing their Permanent Medical Registration, despite having fulfilled all requisite qualifications,” said Gurumoorthy.
“Many of them have completed internships in accordance with earlier advisories issued by the NMC. However, they are now facing procedural delays and rejections due to evolving documentation requirements. A particular concern is the ambiguity surrounding the acceptance of online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the insistence on compensation certificates in formats that foreign universities cannot furnish without explicit direction from the NMC.”
The MP added, “This lack of clarity has led to significant hardship for these young doctors. These delays are affecting their careers and contributing to the loss of medical professionals when the country still faces shortages in the healthcare workforce.”
He called for “clear, time bound, and uniform directions to all state medical councils, particularly APMC, to expedite the registration process,” and urged a “one time special consideration for those who have already completed internships in line with previous guidelines.”
Under the able leadership of our leader shri @ysjagan garu, we have escalated the FMG’s issue to Union Minister for Health Shri @JPNadda Ji for the urgent intevention to resolve the matter and to streamline the coordination btw NMC and state medical councils. Also to expidite the… https://t.co/UMoFwMzJbN pic.twitter.com/EC2JkllJx2
— Maddila Gurumoorthy (@GuruMYSRCP) July 4, 2025
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
