Mon Jan 06 16:38:39 UTC 2025: ## Andhra Pradesh FMGs Protest Delays in Permanent Registration

**VIJAYAWADA, January 6, 2025** – Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Andhra Pradesh staged a protest outside the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) office today, demanding the immediate issuance of Permanent Registrations (PRs) and the appointment of a council chairman. The protest, which lasted several hours, involved approximately 100 FMGs who voiced their frustration over delays and what they perceive as arbitrary internship requirements.

The FMGs, many of whom are from batches affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, claim they are being forced to complete two or three years of internship despite a June 19th National Medical Commission (NMC) notification stipulating a one-year internship for those with compensatory certificates and who completed their final exams offline. They accuse the APMC Registrar of unilaterally extending internship durations, a policy they say contrasts with practices in other states.

Parents of affected graduates joined the protest, expressing concerns about the prolonged delays and the impact on their children’s careers. One parent highlighted the irony of a doctor already practicing in other states being required to repeat an internship. Another complained that the lack of an APMC, eight months after a new government was formed, has created a situation where decisions are made by a single individual.

In addition to PRs and the appointment of a chairman, the FMGs demanded the withdrawal of a notification requiring medical colleges to collect affidavits from FMGs at the start of internships. The Registrar agreed to this last demand and stated he would discuss the PR issue with NMC officials in Delhi. However, the FMGs remain unconvinced, having received similar assurances previously, and plan further action.

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