Three and a half months after the launch of the National Medical Register (NMR) portal, only about 6,500 doctors have registered, and just 284 have been approved, according to reports. At this slow rate, it could take over 40 years to register all the estimated 12 lakh doctors in India.
The Union Health Minister J P Nadda started the NMR Portal to help register all MBBS doctors who can practice in India. The NMR is special because it uses the doctors’ Aadhaar IDs to confirm their identity. The health ministry said this portal, made together with the National Health Authority (NHA) and the National Medical Commission (NMC), will create a clear and reliable database of doctors.
However, many doctors are having trouble with the registration process. Dr. KV Babu, an eye doctor and RTI activist, expressed his frustration, saying he registered the day after the portal opened. His registration was confirmed by the Kerala State medical council, but for the past 110 days, he’s received confusing questions about his application that delay approval. For example, he was asked about differences in names and told to prove his name matches the one on his Aadhaar card.
A retired doctor from a government college voiced concern about the poor performance of this system, saying, “If they can’t create a database for just 12 lakh doctors, imagine how they will manage for the other 50 lakh healthcare workers who have less regulated training.”
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