Thiruvananthapuram: The launch of the new National Medical Register (NMR) Portal by the National Medical Commission (NMC) has led to the suspension of the previously launched online registration process launched by Kerala State Medical Council (KSMC). With the launch of NMR, all new registrations will now need to be submitted through this central portal, with the state council responsible for authentication. The transition could be confusing, particularly for those who have already applied, due to the lack of clear guidelines.
Dr Harikumaran Nair G S, President, Kerala State Medical Council (KSMC) said “The portal will be fully operational after a trial run. New registrations must be submitted through the portal, and we cannot accept applications until we receive official instructions from the NMC. There could be people who applied on Friday as well. We also have to get direction on the applications which are already processed by the KSMC.” The council is apprehensive of new applications as the fee for application is also likely to be standardised across the country.
The NMR would require the applicant to upload the digital copy of the Degree (MBBS) Certificate. The application to the NMR shall be made using the Aadhaar ID. A one-time password (OTP) generated on the phone linked to the aadhar ID will be used for login. Doctors are also worried about the transition from the Indian Medical Register (IMR), a registry used by the Medical Council of India, the predecessor of NMC.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has stated that all MBBS doctors currently registered with the IMR will need to re-register with the NMR. There is also uncertainty regarding the validity of the registration, with the KSMC offering a 10-year validity period while the NMC has proposed a 5-year validity.