Telangana doctors’ associations have condemned the detention of Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) interns who were protesting in Hyderabad over stipends and alleged unequal treatment, demanding their immediate release and government-led dialogue.
The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) and Telangana Senior Residents Association (T-SRDA) said the interns were peacefully raising concerns about their working conditions and financial support. The associations called for the release of all detained interns without registered cases.
According to the doctors’ bodies, several FMG interns receive a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 despite carrying workloads comparable to those of other medical interns. They said the interns also support peripheral government healthcare institutions, making their contribution relevant to the functioning of the public health system beyond teaching hospitals.
The associations criticised the use of police detention against interns who were demanding parity and fair treatment. They said peaceful protest was a fundamental democratic right and that intimidation or police action could not replace dialogue and institutional accountability.
The dispute centres on the treatment of Foreign Medical Graduates, who complete their medical education outside India and must meet Indian regulatory and training requirements before practising independently. In Telangana, the associations said FMG interns and Indian Medical Graduates work as part of the same medical fraternity and should receive equal pay, dignity and treatment during internship.
The stipend issue has a direct operational dimension for government healthcare facilities. Interns form part of the workforce supporting patient care, especially in peripheral institutions where staffing pressures can affect routine services. The associations’ statement linked the interns’ financial demands to the workload they perform and to the public institutions that depend on their service.
HRDA, T-JUDA and T-SRDA urged authorities to begin constructive discussions with the interns and resolve the dispute immediately. Their demands include the release of the detained doctors, an end to what they described as unequal treatment, and parity in stipends for FMG and Indian Medical Graduate interns.
The associations did not indicate in the statement how many interns had been detained or identify the police unit involved. The next step sought by the doctors’ bodies is an immediate dialogue with authorities aimed at resolving the stipend and treatment concerns without criminal cases against the protesting interns.
