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Doctors Revolt: NMC's New Register Sparks Outrage
5 Sep
Summary
- Doctors question mandatory re-registration for National Medical Register.
- NMC's proposed fee for NMR entry adds financial burden to practitioners.
- Doctors demand NMC use existing State Medical Council data for NMR.
The National Medical Commission's (NMC) initiative to establish a National Medical Register (NMR) is facing renewed opposition from medical practitioners. Doctors are questioning the necessity of a new registration process, which involves paying a fee, when their credentials and registration details are already available with their respective State Medical Councils.
The Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the NMC is considering amendments to the Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2026. The NMR aims to be a centralized database for verifying doctors' qualifications and registration, facilitating inter-state practice through a unique identification number linked to state registration.
Doctors point to the NMC Act, 2019, arguing that it assigns the EMRB the responsibility of maintaining the National Register by synchronizing with State Registers, rather than requiring individual doctors to reapply. This has led to concerns about unnecessary fees and a complicated verification process, especially as many previous NMR applications remain pending.
Financial implications are also a significant factor, with doctors already bearing costs for state registration. They are demanding that the NMC withdraw its proposed draft amendment and instead direct State Medical Councils to submit their existing databases for the creation of the NMR and unique doctor IDs.
