NMR Effect: Kerala Medical Council Might Suspend New Registration Process until NMC Issues Clarification

Thiruvananthapuram: With the National Medical Register (NMR) being operative, the Kerala State Medical Council (KSMC) might suspend processing new applications for registrations as all the new medical registrations will now be submitted through the central portal of the National Medical Commission (NMC) i.e. NMR, TNIE has reported. 

Due to the possibility of suspension of registration by KSMC, the MBBS doctors, who are planning to start practice in the State of Kerala, may encounter delays in the process.

Announcing the launch of the NMR portal by the Union Health Minister J P Nadda, a recent release by the Central Government clarified that NMR will be a comprehensive dynamic database for all allopathic registered doctors in India. The uniqueness of the NMR is that it is linked with the Aadhaar ID of the doctors which ensures the individual’s authenticity.

Doctors can apply to the NMR using their Aadhaar IDs, following which a one-time password (OTP) will be generated on the phone number liked to the Aadhaar, which will be used for login. The applicant can also upload the digital copy of the Degree (MBBS) certificate. As per the release, all the doctors, who are already registered on the Indian Medical Register (IMR), have to mandatorily register again on the NMR portal of NMC.

Also Read: All Doctors have to Re-Register with NMC: Here are 6 Points for the National Medical Register

Therefore, all the new registrations will now be submitted through this central portal and the State Medical Councils will be responsible for authentication. However, since there are no clear guidelines regarding the process yet, the transition from the Indian Medical Register to NMR might be confusing for doctors, especially for those who have already applied.

Referring to this, the President (Modern Medicine) of the Kerala State Medical Council, Dr. Harukumaran Nair G S told The New Indian Express, "The portal will be fully operational after a trial run. New registrations must be submitted through the portal, and we cannot accept applications until we receive official instructions from the NMC... We also have to get direction on the applications which are already processed by the KSMC."

As per the Daily, the Council is concerned regarding the new applications as with the introduction of NMR, the application fee for the registration process is also likely to be standardised across the country. 

Dr. Harikumaran pointed out that the doctors will be required to provide an Aadhaar ID and may also need to pay a registration fee for registration with the NMR. 

Commenting on the matter, the president of the IMA Kerala Chapter, Dr. Joseph Benaven said that IMA is closely monitoring the situation and is waiting for clear communications from the authorities. 

TNIE has reported that the doctors are also uncertain regarding the validity of the registration. While KSMC offers a 10-year validity period, NMC has proposed a validity period of 5 years.

Also Read: Process of updating doctors details in National Medical Register may start soon: NMC