CHENNAI: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has urged the Union and State governments to create additional internship opportunities for medical graduates who studied abroad by increasing the total number of seats in government medical colleges by 20%.

In a statement, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said the additional seats should be earmarked for foreign medical graduates and that they should also be permitted to undergo internship training in district government hospitals in Tamil Nadu, as is done in other states.

Veerapandian called for restoring permission for foreign medical graduates to undergo internship training in the 11 new medical colleges established in the State, where such training had earlier been allowed.

He criticised the Tamil Nadu Medical Council for delays in issuing temporary eligibility certificates and completing other mandatory procedures for foreign medical graduates, alleging that such delays were not seen in other states and describing the approach as anti-student.

He further alleged that the council was insisting on two or three years of internship training for some foreign medical graduates, contrary to National Medical Commission norms and practices followed elsewhere. He said students were being compelled to sign mandatory undertaking forms containing conditions not prescribed by the Commission, without being allowed to read or understand them, and demanded that the practice be stopped.

The CPI leader also sought hostel facilities for foreign medical graduates undergoing internship in government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu and urged the State to address staff shortages and improve infrastructure at the Tamil Nadu Medical Council.

He appealed to the Union and State governments to establish assistance centres at the national and State levels to support students pursuing medical education abroad.