Hyderabad: Several foreign medical graduate interns have begun pulling out of duties due to stipend disparity in Telangana, affecting outpatient services in the state.
Foreign Medical Graduates are students who complete their MBBS from foreign universities and qualify for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination. These students have to complete their internship to qualify for registration and practice in India.
According to a report by The Times of India, some foreign medical graduates said that medical interns in Telangana are paid a stipend of Rs 29,732 while they receive Rs 5,000 only. The FMGs also submitted a representation to the Director of Medical Education (DME) seeking parity in stipends since January 2026.
The report also highlighted that Telangana is among the states paying the lowest stipends to FMG interns as compared to Odisha (Rs 44,000), West Bengal (43,000), Assam (Rs 36,225) and Karnataka (Rs 30,000).
The disparity makes it difficult for interns to meet basic expenses like food, rent and travel. Many have education loans to clear. With internships allotted in different cities, the cost of living also adds to the financial burden,” Mohammed Mohsin, an FMG from Georgia, was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
According to the National Medical Council (NMC), it is impossible to have a uniform stipend for medical interns across India. However, it maintained that Indian medical graduates and FMGs working in the same state must have equal stipends.
