The excitement surrounding the launch of a portal aimed at updating the National Medical Register (NMR) — a single, consolidated list of doctors licensed to practice in India — has gradually waned as numerous doctors face bureaucratic hurdles. Lakhs of doctors are being asked to file affidavits to confirm their identity due to discrepancies in their names or surnames on Aadhaar cards, where spelling variations have caused confusion. This is complicating the updating process, particularly since more than 70% of doctors were registered before Aadhaar cards became mandatory.

Adding to the challenge, name changes in some state medical councils (SMCs) and universities that awarded degrees to doctors have created further complications. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has raised queries about these changes and has sought clarifications. For instance, the Kerala Medical Council (KMC), previously known as the Travancore Cochin Medical Council (TCMC), underwent a name change following a state legislation in 2021. More than 80,000 doctors are registered with KMC, and many doctors feel that instead of stalling the registration of such a large number of practitioners, the NMC should automatically register them, as it is already aware of the name change.

One KMC-registered doctor voiced their frustration, pointing out that "rather than stalling the registration of 80,000 doctors of KMC, raising a query about the change of name of their state council, NMC could automatically register them."

The issue has sparked concerns among medical professionals, many of whom are already registered with their respective SMCs. They argue that since their names are already in the Indian Medical Register, which consolidates state registers, there is no need for the NMC to demand individual affidavits. Dr. K. V. Babu, an ophthalmologist, remarked, "If the state medical council verifies our registration, why should NMC demand individual affidavits? None of us have the time to answer each and every query raised by the NMC. Most will give up on the re-registration process, and this initiative will become a non-starter unless the NMC simplifies the process."

A case in point is a doctor who registered with the national portal in August, only to be asked two months later to file an affidavit regarding the spelling difference on his Aadhaar card. Though the registration was reviewed and verified by the SMC, the additional demand for an affidavit came unexpectedly.

Dr. R. V. Ashokan, president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), expressed concerns about the rigidity of the process, stating that such stringent requirements could undermine the entire exercise. "Such rigidity will lead to the whole exercise becoming a failure. Doctors will just ignore it as they don't have the time. This could have been sorted out by NMC talking to the SMCs. We will take it up with the chairman of NMC," he said

.

Dr. Ashokan also emphasized that the IMA had initially supported the initiative based on the assurance that registration with the National Medical Register would allow doctors to practice across India with ease. He explained that once registered with the NMR, doctors would only need a license to practice in any state, and obtaining the license would be an automatic process.

India currently lacks a live register of doctors, meaning the government does not have accurate data on the number of active medical practitioners. The Indian Medical Register, maintained by the now-defunct Medical Council of India (MCI), was not regularly updated. As a result, even doctors who have left the country or passed away continue to be counted among practicing doctors. Four years after the NMC was established, the National Medical Register was launched in August with the aim of addressing this issue by providing a portal for doctors to register themselves.

However, the current approach by the NMC has led to frustration and dissatisfaction among many in the medical community. Without simplifying the process and addressing concerns about bureaucratic delays, there is growing fear that the initiative may fail to achieve its intended goals. Doctors are calling for a more streamlined and less time-consuming registration process, especially given the pressing demands of their profession.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Yash Kamble/MSM)