Kerala High Court provisionally permits medical graduates with foreign degree to complete internship without paying fees

The Kerala High Court recently permitted several graduates with foreign medical degrees to undergo their internships in hospitals in Kerala without paying fees [Vishnu Mohanan Pillai & Ors. v State of Kerala & Ors.]..Justice VG Arun granted interim relief to a group of medical graduates after noting that the Court had issued similar orders in other cases permitting the issuance of completion certificates on executing a bond to remit fees if the final outcome of the case required the same. "In the light of Ext.P7 and similar orders passed in other cases, there shall be an interim order directing respondents 6 and 7 to issue completion certificate to the petitioners subject to the petitioners executing a bond undertaking to remit their fees, if any adverse order is passed in this writ petition. Issuance of completion certificate will be subject to the final outcome of this writ petition," the interim order stated..The Court passed the order on a plea moved by MBBS graduates who had completed their degrees from various foreign universities. The degrees they procured are recognised in Indian universities. It was pointed out that States like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan have issued orders in tune with the said National Medical Commission (NMC) circulars.The petitioners claimed that they had satisfactorily completed the internship for twelve months as regulated by NMC (FMGL)Regulations, 2021 and are entitled to be issued completion certificates at par with Indian Medical Graduates.However, the Medical Superintendent of AA Rahim Memorial District Hospital, Kollam refused to issue internship completion certificate for not paying the fees stipulated by the Kerala government as per government order.The petitioners contended that the insistence of fee for issuing internship completion certificate was illegal and arbitrary. Even though they had submitted representations to the concerned authorities, the petitioners said that no action was taken. Similarly situated students even requested to the State Minister of Health to intervene in the issue, they said Since CRRI Completion Certificate is necessary for the petitioners to register with State Medical Council, they approached the Court seeking its intervention..The petitioners were represented by advocate H Vishnudas..[Read Order]