New Delhi: Despite the National Medical Commission (NMC) launching the National Medical Register (NMR) five months ago, only a minuscule fraction of Indian doctors have registered. An RTI filed by health activist Dr. KV Babu revealed that as of January 14, 2025, a mere 8,598 out of an estimated 13 lakh doctors had applied to join the NMR.
The NMR, intended to be a central repository of all registered doctors with verified Aadhaar IDs, has faced significant hurdles. Doctors have reported numerous challenges, including:
- Lengthy Approval Process: Delays in obtaining approval from the NMC, despite receiving it from State Medical Councils.
- Inconsistent and Irrelevant Queries: Facing multiple rounds of objections from the NMC regarding seemingly minor details like university names and discrepancies between Aadhaar and degree names.
- Complex Procedures: Encountering cumbersome requirements such as submitting affidavits for name differences and approaching SMCs for name changes of institutions.
These obstacles have discouraged many doctors from registering, despite the NMC’s directive for all MBBS doctors to migrate from the Indian Medical Register (IMR) to the NMR.
Dr. Babu, who experienced firsthand the difficulties of the registration process, has urged the NMC to streamline the procedures, minimize paperwork, and automate the verification process. He has also suggested that the NMC automatically enroll doctors once their registration numbers and degrees are verified by the respective SMCs.
The low participation rate raises concerns about the effectiveness of the NMR as a crucial tool for the medical profession in India.
Key Takeaways:
- Low doctor participation in the NMR.
- Significant challenges faced by doctors during the registration process.
- Need for urgent action to streamline the registration process and improve doctor participation.
