The medical internship row of students who have completed their MBBS course from China has escalated with students threatening to take to the streets if the government turns a dead ear to their demands.

Eighty-three students of the 2008-September batch of China have been demanding the government allow them internship in hospitals across the country. On May 8, 2007, the Nepal Medical Council (NMC),

however, took a decision to bar students completing their medical studies abroad from taking up pre-internship in the country’s hospitals.

Also, on February 5, 2008, the Ministry of Health and Population had issued a notice warning hospitals in the

country against taking any new foreign MBBS graduates for pre-internship.

The students had also moved the Patan Appellate Court against the NMC’s decision and demanded a platform for internship. On June 26 this year, the court asked the NMC to allow internship to 18 students from the Dali University in China. The court instructed the NMC to allow internship under clause 3 of its 2007 decision that states that students can be allowed internship under exceptional cases or if the students face problems.

Dipak Pandey of Dali University and president of the struggle committee of the affected students, claimed that many students have taken up internship even after the rule came into effect. He said 10 students were taken as interns by the Paropakar maternity hospital after January 29 this year, despite the decision. “The rule has to be equal for all. We don’t understand why the council is adamant, and this despite the court’s decision,” said Pandey. “We will unveil a series of protest programme if they ignore our demands.”

However, NMC has said it will not allow the students to become interns, but will move the Supreme Court against the Appellate Court’s decision.

NMC President Dr Damodar Gajurel said the country cannot withstand the pressure of students if they allow all foreign graduates to come to Nepal for internship. “It is international practice that the college where students study should take them as interns,” he said.

The agitating students say that although their college provides internship facility, it is hard for them to communicate in Chinese and prescribe medicine in the same language.

Many medical experts also echoed Dr Gajurel. Dr Jagdish Prasad Agrawal said the practice of students studying in foreign colleges and coming to Nepal for internship is flawed. “It is the duty of the university to make sure that their students do their internship in the college itself,” he said.

source: the kathmandu post,22 August 2013