Discover the groundbreaking new requirement for physicians in India—a Unique Identification (UID) number that unlocks a world of transformative changes in the medical field. Delve into the captivating details of this game-changing development and its implications for healthcare professionals.

The Commission recently released guidelines titled "Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023," that make this declaration.

The Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) under the NMC will maintain a register called the National Medical Registry, according to the NMC Gazette notice that was released in this respect. All entries for registered medical professionals from all State Registers maintained by the different State Medical Councils will be included in this register. Additionally, this register will be made available to the public on the NMC's official website and will include pertinent details about a medical practitioner, such as their registration number, name, father's name, date of registration, place of employment (name of hospital or institute), specialisation, year of passing, university, and the name of the institution or university where their degree was earned.

The creation of a Unique Identification (UID) number for each doctor was also stated in the NMC's recommendations along with the establishment of a National Medical Register. Here are some essential facts regarding the UID that doctors really must know:

How will physicians get their UIDs?

The Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the National Medical Commission must create a UID number for each physician, according to the Apex Medical Commission's most current recommendations.

Following this, the NMC Ethics Board will award the practitioner eligibility to practice medicine in India as well as registration in the National Medical Register.

How is UID going to be created?

The NMC Ethics and Medical Registration Board shall centrally create the UID, according to the Commission's most current rules. Additionally, the NMC has stated that the Secretary of the NMC shall receive payment of the processing charge for the production of UID (as stipulated by EMRB, NMC from time to time).

Procedure for obtaining a UID number

When describing the steps involved in obtaining a medical license, the NMC noted that physicians must submit their applications online via the NMC Ethics Board's website. This application will then be sent to the relevant State Medical Council, which will finish the procedure after collecting the necessary fees.

According to the NMC, the Certificate of Licence must contain a registration number that is constructed such that the UID number is followed by a code for the relevant State or Union Territory. The guidelines said that the registration number on the certificate of license "shall be formed in such a manner that a Unique Identification Number shall be suffixed with a Code of the concerned State/Union Territory."

The guidelines further stated that "on State Medical Council approval of the application, the same shall be reflected in the State Medical Register and the National Medical Register."

If a practice license is transferred to other states, what happens to UID?

The NMC has said that the UID number of the registration must stay constant in cases when a medical practitioner licensed by one State Medical Council relocates to another State to practice.

The prefixed Code of the relevant State/Union Territory will only change because the Code of the successor State/UT will replace it.

The unique registration number must stay the same, and the prefixed State/Union Territory code must be replaced with the new State/Union Territory code, according to NMC guidelines.

Add on qualifications

If a registered medical practitioner earns additional medical credentials, he or she must submit an application to the relevant State Medical Council in order to have those credentials recorded next to their name in the State Register or National Register.

According to NMC's recommendations, when a medical practitioner registers an additional medical qualification in the State Register, an entry about that qualification will automatically be created against the practitioner's name in the National Register, and the UID will stay the same.

For further details, readers are requested to go through the following reference. https://www.nmc.org.in/information-desk/indian-medical-register/

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

About the author of this article: Dr Monish Raut is a practising super specialist from New Delhi.