Supreme Court Orders Equal Stipends For Foreign Medical Graduates

Taking cognisance of the matter concerning some foreign medical graduates not receiving internship stipends, the Supreme Court has ruled that these students must be treated on par with their Indian counterparts.

A two-judge bench made the statement while hearing a plea from a group of doctors that some medical colleges do not pay stipends to foreign medical graduates during their internships.

The bench on Monday instructed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to furnish details regarding stipend payments to foreign medical graduates in three specific colleges: Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College, Vidisha; Dr Laxminarayan Pandey Government Medical College, Ratlam; and Employees State Insurance Corporation Medical College, Alwar.

Emphasising the importance of stipend payments, the court cautioned the colleges that if they failed to comply with the earlier directive on stipend payments, strong action would be taken against them.

"The medical colleges cannot treat MBBS and foreign medical graduates differently," the bench directed the NMC and the medical colleges to provide further information on the matter.

Previously, on January 23, the Supreme Court had sought responses from both the NMC and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College after a petition was filed by five foreign medical graduates.

The court also stated that the NMC and related bodies must ensure that such students receive a stipend for the entire internship period following the norms of other medical colleges.

These students are currently interning at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College in Vidisha.