Only 284 Doctors in NMR- Is National Medical Register becoming a failure?

Launched on August 23, 2024, by the Union Health Minister, the NMR was envisioned as a transformative initiative to centralize and streamline the registration of doctors across India. Aimed at ensuring an authentic, dynamic, and consolidated database of Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs), the portal promised a hassle-free and efficient registration process. However, the reality has fallen far short.

During its inauguration, the Union Health Minister underscored the vital role of State Medical Councils (SMCs) in verifying credentials and expediting the registration process. He appealed for their active participation, emphasizing that their efforts would be key to the NMR's success. Nadda stated that “the State Medical Councils are major stakeholders in the development and maintaining of National Medical Register and facilitating the registration process.” He urged the SMCs “for their active participation and to fasten the registration process” as their “efforts of authentication and speed of authentication will be a key factor in the success of NMR”. He further added that “we are also moving in the direction of launching a similar register for the paramedics and other healthcare professionals.”

However, despite these assurances, the reality on the ground has been far from smooth. A Right to Information (RTI) query filed by Dr KV Babu, an ophthalmologist and activist, revealed alarming statistics: only 284 doctors' names have been included in the NMR, while 6,198 applications were not approved, and two were rejected outright. Despite over 13 lakh RMPs registered with the National Medical Commission (NMC) as per an August 2022 Parliamentary reply, the RTI response dated December 13, 2024, revealed the dismal progress.

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After receiving approval for his application from the Kerala State Medical Council, the doctor's registration was sent to the NMC. However, according to the doctor, over 110 days, it was returned four times with irrelevant queries. These included objections regarding the names of his university and state medical council, as well as discrepancies between the name on his Aadhaar card and his degree certificate.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Babu said, "I have warned the NMC Chairman in October itself , after my applications which were already approved by the SMC of Kerala were returned by NMC with irrelevant queries like change in the name of the University/SMC/ difference in name in the Aadhar & Degree certificate. During the last 110 days , my applications have been returned with irrelevant queries four times , which include the change in the names of the University & the SMC . It seems the NMC/NHA is not keen on entering the names of RMPs in the NMR or they are showing their incompetence again. Anyway it is not good for the profession & public health"

As Dr Babu explained, many of these records predate Aadhaar, making such requirements unreasonable. He also criticized the requirement to submit an affidavit to resolve these discrepancies, describing it as an unnecessary burden on doctors who have already met the approval standards set by SMCs.

While the Ministry of Health claimed that the system would provide a "speedy and easy registration process," the current pace suggests otherwise. “At this rate, it could take an estimated 130 years to register all the existing RMPs in India”, Dr Babu expressed over inefficiencies that raised serious questions about the NMR’s effectiveness.

The doctor informed Medical Dialogues that he had previously flagged these inefficiencies in a letter to the NMC Chairman in October 2024, offering practical solutions. He suggested that once SMCs verify registration numbers and degree certificates, the NMC should automatically enroll the doctors in the NMR, similar to the procedure followed by the now-defunct Medical Council of India (MCI). He also recommended that the NMC withdraw its directive requiring affidavits to resolve Aadhaar-related discrepancies. Instead, the focus should be on simplifying the process and eliminating procedural redundancies to expedite the registration process.

The NMR is mandated under Section 31 of the NMC Act, 2019, and was expected to be a cornerstone for modernizing India’s healthcare system.