Over 3,000 doctors in Chhattisgarh who obtained their MBBS degrees from countries in Central and East Asia are under scrutiny after authorities detected alleged irregularities in their qualifications and in the clearance of the Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) examination, officials said. The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), conducted twice a year by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), is mandatory for Indian students who complete their MBBS abroad and wish to practice medicine in India. The probe was initiated after several foreign medical graduates were found undertaking internships in government hospitals in northern and western states using suspected forged FMGE qualification certificates. Every year, a significant number of medical aspirants from Chhattisgarh pursue MBBS degrees in countries such as Russia, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Georgia, Nepal and Kazakhstan, particularly after failing to secure seats through the NEET-UG examination in India. After clearing the FMGE, such graduates are required to complete a one-year compulsory internship at a recognised government medical college or hospital. They are then granted registration by the National Medical Commission (NMC), enabling them to practice medicine across the country and appear for NEET-PG for postgraduate studies.

 

However, during the past year, both the Chhattisgarh Medical Council (CMC) and NMC reportedly observed serious deficiencies in the clinical knowledge of several foreign medical graduates during their internships in public healthcare institutions across the state. According to officials, some interns were found to have inadequate understanding of essential medical subjects, while a few were unable to properly identify commonly used surgical instruments. Registrar of the CMC, Dr Rupal Purohit, said the situation was alarming as several graduates had allegedly not attended regular physical classes at their foreign medical institutions for extended periods. In some cases, degrees were reportedly completed largely through online examinations. Even among those who attended classes abroad, attendance levels were found to be extremely poor, with some students reportedly attending lectures only once or twice a week. Meanwhile, authorities have also uncovered the existence of an interstate racket operating in Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh that allegedly facilitated forged FMGE clearance certificates. Officials said some candidates who had repeatedly failed to clear the examination allegedly paid between 10 lakh and 15 lakh to obtain fake certificates, enabling them to secure internships in government hospitals. In certain cases, they are suspected to have subsequently obtained registration and employment in both government and private healthcare institutions. CMC Vice-President Dr Vivek Choudhary said the council has launched a detailed verification exercise with the support of the NMC and the state Directorate of Medical Education. Authorities are currently scrutinizing mark sheets, internship records and FMGE certificates of foreign medical graduates across State as a part of the ongoing investigation.