NMC makes ABHA ID mandatory for medical colleges, says NO APPROVAL without patient registration

New Delhi: Making implementation of ABHA ID mandatory for medical colleges, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has stated that "for decisions in the assessment for the academic year of 2025-26 and thereafter, the patients and related clinical material authenticated with ABHA ID will only be counted." With this, the authentication of patients and other clinical material in the hospital has become compulsory for decisions on the prospects of a college including increased seats in UG or PG, new college, annual renewal of permission/recognition to admit students.

NMC finalised this decision in its 14th meeting held on 01.05.2024. However, the Medical Regulator has also clarified that no patient should be denied treatment without the ABHA ID.

Last year, taking another step towards digitalization of the healthcare system across India, NMC had expressed its plans to ensure that all the patients, being treated in medical colleges, were registered through a unique ABHA ID. Initially, NMC took this decision in its 11th meeting dated 18.10.2023. Back then, the Commission had issued a circular to all the medical colleges across the country and encouraged them to use ABHA ID.

NMC had highlighted that this process through the Health Management Information System (HMIS) would provide reliable data on the clinical material available in each college to train undergraduate and postgraduate medical students.

Also Read: NMC calls for implementation of ABDM at all medical colleges, patient registration through ABHA ID only

Referring to its previous circular, NMC in its recent notice dated 04.06.2023 mentioned, "The National Medical Commission (NMC) in its 14 th meeting held on 01-05-2024, has decided that all medical colleges must ensure ABHA ID as pre-requisite for registration of patients visiting for the OPD/IPD/emergency services in hospitals attached to them. All patients, OP/IP, must have registration done with the ABHA ID in addition to hospital’s registration number."

"The Commission has endorsed a strong need to have authentication of patients and other clinical material in the hospital for decision on the prospects of a college (increased seats in UG or PG, new college, annual renewal of permission/recognition to admit students). The creation of ABHA ID is very simple process and can be facilitated conveniently with the possession of Aadhaar Card that has already been extended to people on a large scale," the notice issued by NMC Secretary Dr. B Srinivas further added.

Further, NMC clarified that patients should not be denied treatment without the ABHA ID and mentioned that assessment for the next academic year and thereafter would be done while taking the patients and related clinical material authenticated with ABHA ID into account. The notice said,

"However, no patient should be denied treatment without the ABHA ID. For decisions in the assessment for the academic year of 2025-26 and thereafter, the patients and related clinical material authenticated with ABHA ID will only be counted."

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that NMC had released guidelines and user manual for the Implementation of AEBAS, HMS in institutes and Connecting CCTV feed to Command and Control Center at NMC. Back in 2022, the Commission reminded the medical colleges about the mandatory implementation of the HMIS and NMC once again wrote to the heads of the medical colleges directing them to comply with the directions.

To view the NMC notice on ABHA ID, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/nmc-abha-id-240260.pdf

Also Read: Medical Colleges that do not have HMIS should start HMIS by 10th October: NMC