‘Same job, same stipend’: Foreign medical graduates protest in Hyderabad, demand ₹29,792 per month

About 100 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) from different parts of Telangana gathered at Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad on Thursday (October 15, 2026). | Photo credit: Siddharth Kumar Singh

Around 100 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) from various parts of Telangana gathered at Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad on Thursday (15 October 2026) demanding that the government pay them Indian Medical Graduates (IMG) level stipends during their compulsory internship.

The protesters are demanding a monthly stipend of ₹29,792, which they say is being paid to Indian medical interns in Telangana. They alleged that FMGs were paid only ₹5,000 per month in some government medical colleges, while several others were not paid for months despite applying for internships.

Manikanta, who is currently interning at a medical college in Khammam, said he completed his medical education in Ukraine and returned to India last year. After qualifying the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) and completing the counseling process, he was allotted a college in Khammam where he started his internship in January. “It has been about 10 months since I joined the internship, but we have not received the stipend for a single month yet,” he said.

The poster in Telugu highlighted how a daily wage worker can earn ₹500 to ₹700 a day, while an FMG trainee who is paid ₹5,000 a month earns the equivalent of about ₹166 a day | Photo credit: Siddharth Kumar Singh

The main theme of the protest was the pay disparity, with protesters displaying posters comparing the stipends paid to FMG interns to the daily wages of workers. One poster in Telugu highlighted how a daily wage worker can earn ₹500 to ₹700 a day, while an FMG trainee who is paid ₹5,000 a month earns the equivalent of about ₹166 a day. “This comparison reflects the financial hardships faced by interns who have to perform hospital duties despite receiving meager or no remuneration,” Sindhura said.

For many FMGs, the financial burden does not end with the completion of medical education abroad. The cost of studying medicine overseas runs into several crores of rupees, with some students and their families relying on education loans to finance the course. The stipend received during the compulsory internship is an opportunity for these graduates to start repaying these loans while covering their daily expenses.

Shashank, who completed his medical education in Georgia and is currently interning at the Government Medical College (GMC), Nagarkurnool, said the protesters were seeking equality in stipend and release of pending payments. “Our primary demand is a monthly stipend of ₹29,792, at par with that paid to Indian medical interns. The government should also release all outstanding stipend arrears from January,” he said.

Among those who supported the protest was Syed, representing the Junior Doctors Network of the Indian Medical Association. “We all know the conditions in many medical colleges in district and tribal areas where these doctors are working despite limited opportunities. Even though they serve in such conditions and have equal responsibilities, they are not paid the same as their Indian counterparts. We are trying to arrange a meeting with the health minister to raise the issue and urge the government to issue a GO ensuring stipend parity,” he added.

Published – 15 Oct 2026 15:23 IST