0
0
New Delhi, May 2025 – The National Medical Register (NMR), launched with much fanfare in August 2024 as a centralized digital database for all registered allopathic doctors in India, is facing a severe crisis of acceptance and functionality, an RTI (Right to Information) query has exposed.
According to data obtained by health activist Dr. KV Babu from Kerala, only 10,411 out of over 13 lakh registered medical practitioners have applied for enrollment in the NMR in the past eight months-less than 1% of the total doctors in the country. Even more concerning is that of these applications, 98% (10,237) remain unapproved by the National Medical Commission (NMC), with only two applications outright rejected and the rest pending or returned with queries.
The NMR was designed as a comprehensive and dynamic database mandated under Section 31 of the NMC Act, 2019, linking doctors’ credentials with their Aadhaar IDs to ensure authenticity and streamline medical registration nationwide. The government envisioned it as a critical pillar in building a robust digital healthcare ecosystem, enabling easy verification of doctors’ qualifications and tracking their professional status.
However, the registration process has been plagued by complexity and inefficiency. Doctors report repeated rejections and requests for affidavits due to discrepancies between their Aadhaar details and medical certificates, as well as other bureaucratic hurdles. Dr. Babu himself faced multiple rejections over mismatched names between his Aadhaar and degree certificates, despite being registered with the State Medical Council. He has urged the NMC to simplify the process by automatically enrolling doctors once state councils verify their credentials, rather than requiring redundant and cumbersome documentation.
The Indian Medical Association, representing four lakh doctors, has also raised concerns with the NMC over these registration difficulties. The low registration numbers and high non-approval rates threaten to undermine the NMR’s purpose, with Dr. Babu warning that if the current system continues, it could take a century for all doctors to be registered properly.
Despite the NMC’s assurances to upgrade and improve the registration portal, the current state of the NMR reflects an abysmal disconnect between policy intent and on-ground implementation. The failure to build a functional, user-friendly registry not only hampers regulatory oversight but also risks patient safety by limiting access to verified doctor information.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information available from Right to Information (RTI) disclosures, official government releases, and statements from involved stakeholders as of May 2025. The situation regarding the National Medical Register is evolving, and readers are advised to consult official NMC sources for the latest updates.
Citations:
