Making the National Medical Register (NMR) ID voluntary is a huge step backward for healthcare transparency in our country! The whole point of the NMR was to create a centralized, Aadhaar-linked database to eliminate fake doctors and allow patients to verify their practitioner's qualifications online.

Yes, the registration process through the State Medical Councils is currently slow and cumbersome, which explains why less than 1% of the 13.86 lakh doctors registered in eight months. But giving up and making it voluntary completely defeats the purpose of the NMC Act! How can we trust a registry that only has a fraction of doctors on it?

Instead of abandoning the mandate, the government should have streamlined the standard operating procedure, improved the portal's tech, and helped SMCs process applications faster.

Patient safety shouldn't be optional! #healthcare #policy #governance https://thoxt.com/l/7Y8znC 🔗