Tamil Nadu cuts internship fee for foreign medicos

Chennai, July 29: In a relief to foreign medical graduates (FMG) from Tamil Nadu, the State government on Friday announced a cut in fee to do compulsory rotatory residential internship (CRRI). The medicos could now pay Rs 30,000 instead of Rs 5.20 lakh, said State Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian.

"This was decided at a meeting with Chief Minister M K Stalin who took a considerate view of the plight of the medicos who faced difficulties in pursuing internship in the State," he said.

Apart from completely waiving off Rs 2 lakh to be paid to the government, it was decided to drastically reduce Rs 3.20 lakh to be paid to the MGR Medical University, the Minister told reporters here.

It would be adequate if a medico pays Rs 30,000 alone for the training now, he said and called upon them to approach the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) to avail themselves of the CRRI.

With the National Medical Council (NMC) accepting the demand of the Chief Minister, about 521 FMGs could now take up internship at the 11 newly established medical colleges.

Also, the government has simplified the certificate verification process for them, he added.

Responding to a question, Subramanian dismissed reports in a section of the media on the outbreak of suspected monkey pox in coastal Kanyakumari district, which shares border with Kerala, and said strict surveillance is being carried out to identify and prevent the disease.

The alleged incident of four of a family in Nagercoil getting admitted in the government medical college hospital there is "untrue and a figment of imagination," he said. "We are transparent. There's no need to conceal anything. I appeal to the people not to give credence to rumours," the Minister said.

Surveillance has also been stepped up at the entry points to Tamil Nadu, and recently, two passengers who returned from Canada and the USA were found to have symptoms of monkey pox, but turned negative upon testing, he said.

The Minister, who earlier inaugurated a special camp to administer precautionary dose to the staff at the Secretariat, said the government has planned to conduct a COVID-19 booster dose vaccination camps in the city colleges in association with the Greater Chennai Corporation for the benefit of those aged above 18.