NMC Mandates ABHA ID for Medical Colleges: A Game-Changer for Healthcare Transparency
In an effort to transform the authenticity of medical records in India, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a historic directive on July 29, 2025, mandating that all medical schools and the hospitals they are affiliated with register patients using the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID. This law, which goes into effect for the 2025–2026 school year, aims to improve clinical data reliability for patient care and medical education while reducing the widespread problem of fraudulent patient records. What are the implications for medical schools, students, and the future of healthcare delivery as India works to create a digital healthcare ecosystem? Let’s examine this revolutionary policy’s far-reaching effects.
The Hindu reported that the NMC’s directive requires that hospital registration numbers and ABHA IDs be recorded for all patients, whether they are visiting outpatient (OPD), inpatient
(IPD), or emergency services. Under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), a patient’s medical history, prescriptions, and consultation information are stored in their ABHA ID, a unique 14-digit identifier that facilitates easy access between healthcare providers. Ensuring authentic clinical records to support decisions on medical college assessments, including approvals for new colleges, increased MBBS or PG seats, and annual renewals, is the NMC’s clear objective. In order to meet the NMC’s 75% bed occupancy requirement for clinical departments like general medicine and surgery, private hospitals have long inflated their bed occupancy with “ghost patients,” as Telangana Today points out.
Crucially, the NMC stresses that no patient will be refused care because they do not have an ABHA ID, guaranteeing that access to care is not restricted. Since the creation of an ABHA ID is connected to the widely used Aadhaar card, the process is simplified and accessible to the majority of Indians. According to LiveMint, more than 622 million ABHA IDs have already been generated nationwide, demonstrating the system’s scalability. Along with requiring faculty authentication for investigative reports and imposing severe penalties for falsified records, the NMC also requires senior residents and unit faculty to sign inpatient records. The NMC issued a zero-tolerance warning, stating that “action shall be taken against the concerned faculty and the college if patient records are found to be fake.”
Reactions to this policy have been mixed. Although some medical colleges welcome the clarity it provides to assessments, others are concerned about implementation issues in rural areas with inadequate digital infrastructure, as @TelanganaToday noted on X. Supporters, such as the National Health Authority, see the mandate as a step toward a strong digital health ecosystem, while critics claim it could put a burden on smaller hospitals. The action supports programs like the Health Management Information System (HMIS), which the NMC has encouraged colleges to implement since 2022, and is in line with India’s larger drive for healthcare digitization.
By guaranteeing accountability and transparency, the ABHA ID mandate has the potential to transform patient care and medical education. However, public awareness and infrastructure improvements are essential to its success. Will this policy improve healthcare standards and eliminate fraudulent patient records, or will its effects be slowed by administrative challenges? India’s medical colleges are facing a crucial test in embracing this digital revolution as the 2025–2026 academic year approaches
