HQ Team
May 15, 2023: Indian allopathic doctors will require a unique identification number (UID) to practice in the county, the National Medical Commission, a regulatory body for medical professionals, stated.
A UID will be generated centrally by the Ethics & Medical Registration Board and the commission, and “thereby grant the practitioner, Registration in National Medical Register (NMR) and Eligibility to practice medicine in India.”
The new regulation called the National Medical Commission Act (30 of 2019) came into force after publication in the Official Gazette, according to a government statement.
“Until such time that these Regulations and appropriate sections are in force, license to practice and the prevailing system of Registration shall continue.”
“Within a period of three months of publishing these regulations,” the medical professionals will have to “obtain the registration number as a one-time measure.”
National Register
The certificate of license contains a registration number that will be displayed in a way that a unique identification number will be suffixed with a code of the concerned State or Union Territory.
The Ethics and Medical Registration Board will maintain a National Register of medical practitioners. The register will contain all the entries of the registered medical practitioners of all state registers, maintained by the State Medical Councils.
The national register will be made available to the public and the information will be posted on the website of the NMR. It will have the doctor’s registration number, medical qualification, and the name of the university where the qualification was obtained.
The license to practice medicine issued to a registered medical practitioner will be valid for a period of five years, after which the medical practitioner should renew the licensing by making an application to the State Medical Council.
‘Inactive’ status
The new regulations stipulate that if no application is received within three months of the expiration of the validity of the license, the entry of the name of the medical practitioner in the State Register shall be converted as inactive and the person shall not be entitled to practice medicine.
If the application of a candidate for the grant of license to practice or for renewal is rejected by the State Medical Council on any ground, the applicant can file an appeal to the Ethics and Medical Registration Board against the decision of the State Medical Council, within thirty days of receipt of such decision.
Foreign citizens, who are enrolled in their country as a medical practitioner, should have a sponsorship to practice medicine in India. The professionals can either pursue postgraduate and super-specialty courses recognized under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
They can also pursue fellowships, certificate courses, clinical research, clinical training, and perform community service.
The National Medical Commission has 33 members which regulates medical education and medical professionals. It replaced the Medical Council of India on 25 September 2020.