NMC warns Medical Colleges against non implementation of Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System, HMIS, CCTV connection

New Delhi: Warning the medical colleges who have not implemented NIC Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) and connection of CCTVs feed to Comrnand & Control Centre, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has asked them to take necessary action immediately to "prevent adverse actions against them."

The Information Technology Section of NMC issued the warning on January 25, 2023 after taking note of the fact that despite various reminders and requests, several medical colleges did not fully implement the IT initiatives of the Commission.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that with an aim to find an effective and convenient digital solution to record the attendance of faculties, NMC had directed all the medical colleges to implement AEBAS within August 2022.

Writing to the heads of the medical colleges, NMC Secretary Dr. Sandhya Bhullar had stated, "Implementation of Biometric Attendance System can be used as an effective and convenient digital solution to recording the attendance of faculties, senior residents and tutors of Medical Colleges. Therefore, NMC intends to implement the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) developed by the National Informatics Center (NIC) in all government and private medical colleges."

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Thereafter, in December last year, the NMC had proposed introducing amendments to the Minimum Requirements for annual MBBS admission Regulation, 2020 and make AEBAS mandatory for all the medical colleges.

In fact, the Apex medical commission had also clarified that it would not give permission for further renewals, recognitions, continuation of recognition and further increase of medical seats and establishment of new medical colleges or PG courses without AEBAS.

However, taking note of the fact that several medical colleges have not implemented the IT initiatives, the Information Technology Section of the Apex Medical Commission noted in the notice dated January 25, 2023, "This is in continuation of various letters of NMC regarding implementation of NIC Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) and connection of CCTVs feed to Command & Control Centre at National Medical Commission across all medical colleges in India. It has been observed that despite various reminders and requests from NMC, many medical colleges are yet to fully implement above mentioned IT initiatives of the Commission."

"NMC in its previous communications has already advised the Medical Colleges that for consideration of any applications for renewals, recognition CoR (Continuation of Recognition) surprise inspections, increase in UG/PG seats, approval of PG courses, college applying for new establishments, the data of AEBAS, HMIS and CCTV integration with NMC will be used for decision making," it further noted.

The notice also referred to the fact that the Minister of Health and Family Welfare had previously clarified that implementing AEBAS, HIMS and CCTV connection feed was mandatory.