Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The way medical colleges are assessed in India is quietly changing. Instead of depending mainly on inspection visits and paperwork, the National Medical Commission (NMC) now wants to verify their clinical work through digital systems.In a recent communication, the regulator has asked all medical colleges to submit details of their hospitals’ Health Facility Registry (HFR) IDs within seven days. Colleges have also been asked to share the status of their hospital software systems — whether they are integrated with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) platform and the National Health Authority’s PM-JAY portal.Officials said the move is part of a gradual shift towards more objective, evidence-based assessment. Clinical workload — the number of patients treated, admissions handled and procedures performed — is one of the most important parameters when the NMC grants annual renewal, approves new courses or allows an increase in MBBS and postgraduate seats.“Medical colleges are already aware that clinical workload is a core regulatory requirement. What we are doing now is using IT tools to verify it more objectively,” a senior official said.Every hospital has a unique Health Facility Registry (HFR) ID. By collecting these IDs and checking their linkage status with national digital health portals, the regulator will be able to cross-verify clinical data through existing platforms.Most teaching hospitals, being tertiary care centres, are already connected to the PM-JAY portal because they perform procedures under government health schemes. Officials clarified that this is not about forcing immediate new linkage, but about collecting verified details so the Commission can monitor data more systematically.Until now, verification has relied largely on self-declarations by colleges and periodic physical inspections. The NMC is now moving towards digitally verifiable parameters to strengthen oversight.The Commission also clarified that the step does not directly affect patients. The digital platforms mentioned are already functional for government schemes. The current exercise is administrative and focused on improving regulatory assessment.With the seven-day timeline for submission of details, the message from the regulator is clear: future evaluation of medical colleges will increasingly be based on data that can be checked online, not just on inspection reports.
