The protest by more than 600 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Telangana intensified on Thursday as interns staged a dharna outside the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) office in Koti, Hyderabad, after 15 days without talks with the State government.
The doctors are undergoing Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internships (CRMI) in government hospitals across Telangana. According to Telangana Today, the interns held mass demonstrations and took part in a peaceful rally at the DME campus. Tension prevailed at the office during the protest.
The FMG interns are demanding the same monthly stipend paid to MBBS graduates. They have sought a stipend of Rs 29,792, saying they should receive equal treatment while performing internship duties in government hospitals.
The protesting doctors said they had been posted in peripheral government hospitals that face staff shortages. They alleged that, despite serving patients in these facilities, they had not received fair treatment from the State health administration. The interns also alleged official apathy, discrimination and intimidation during the course of their agitation.
“Fifteen days of peaceful protest without a meaningful response is deeply disappointing. We are not demanding undue favours. We are seeking fair treatment, equal opportunities, and dignity after serving patients with the same dedication and responsibility as our peers,” the FMG doctors said, according to the report.
The interns said senior health authorities had not invited them for talks despite the protest continuing for 15 days. They also alleged that senior officials had threatened to cancel their mandatory internships in government medical colleges. The doctors described the alleged threat as discriminatory.
The dispute places the administration of compulsory medical internships alongside the staffing pressures faced by peripheral government hospitals. The interns’ account links the stipend demand to the duties they say they are performing in facilities affected by shortages of medical personnel. The report did not include a response from the Directorate of Medical Education or the State health administration to the allegations.
The protest moved to the DME office in Koti after the interns said their earlier efforts had not resulted in meaningful discussions. Their immediate demands remain equal stipend payments, talks with senior authorities and protection from cancellation of their mandatory internships. No further meeting or administrative decision was reported by Thursday.
