Fasting for those studying medicine abroad: Support for Thol Thirumavalavan

Tamil Nadu: The Foreign Medical Graduates wing of the Medical Students Association held a hunger strike on Tuesday, demanding 20 percent reservation and the issuance of qualification certificates for those who studied medicine abroad.

More than a hundred people participated in the protest near the Rajarathnam Stadium in Egmore, Chennai.

Tamil Nadu Congress Party leader and MLA Ku. Selvapperundhakai, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Nadu leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, and MLA Chinthana Selvan participated and expressed their support.

At the time, Thirumavalavan told reporters:

The Tamil Nadu Medical Council should stop delaying the issuance of provisional qualification certificates to those who studied medicine abroad. The central government should take steps to allocate 20 percent of the total trainee doctor seats in medical colleges to graduates who studied medicine abroad.

Although the National Medical Commission has approved their appointment as trainee doctors in district government hospitals and 11 new medical colleges, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council has not yet implemented it. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin should take steps to implement it.

He said the government should call the protesting secondary school teachers and sanitation workers, hold a proper dialogue, and provide justice.