SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Dec 25: Jharkhand Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari has announced that the pending stipends of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) will be released soon. Speaking to the media, he said that he has brought all files related to FMG internship stipends to his office and will clear the payments at the earliest.
Dr Ansari, himself a Foreign Medical Graduate who completed his medical education from a Ukrainian medical college in 1999, emphasised that FMGs have contributed their services in medical college hospitals and deserve to be paid their due honorarium. The minister arrived in Dhanbad Wednesday evening to attend a private function.
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Background and NMC Directive
Following a directive from the National Medical Commission (NMC) in July 2025, the Director of Medical Education had asked all six medical colleges in Jharkhand to submit detailed reports of pending FMG stipends. All colleges complied by July 15, 2025. However, four months later, the stipends had still not been paid.
Hundreds of Indian students who had completed their MBBS courses in medical colleges in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus were forced to return to India in 2022 due to the ongoing war, without completing their internships.
Recognising their difficult situation, the Supreme Court directed the NMC to arrange internships for these students in medical colleges and hospitals across India.
FMG Internships in Jharkhand
Following the Supreme Court’s directive, 59 FMGs were posted in six medical colleges in Jharkhand for internships. Despite providing services equivalent to MBBS graduates, the FMGs had not received any stipend for several months.
The All Indian Parents Association of Belarus Medical College approached the Supreme Court seeking stipends for FMGs. On February 24, 2025, the court directed the NMC to ensure that FMG interns are paid stipends equivalent to MBBS graduates.
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The NMC subsequently instructed the Director of Medical Education in Jharkhand and all principals and directors of state medical colleges to disburse the pending payments by July 2025.
Dr Ansari’s recent announcement confirms that the state government is now ready to implement the Supreme Court and NMC directives, ensuring that FMGs receive their due remuneration for their work in medical college hospitals.
