The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a public notice directing all medical colleges and institutions under its administrative domain to ensure the meticulous maintenance of authentic patient records. This directive comes after the NMC observed that previous requirements, including the mandatory recording of ABHA-ID during patient registration, were not being uniformly followed. This notice was issued on July 26, 2025.
The primary intent behind these reinforced guidelines is to guarantee the availability of authentic records for all patients and the clinical material within hospitals associated with medical colleges.
The NMC has instructed medical colleges to take the following steps with immediate effect:
- Comprehensive Patient Records: Colleges must maintain records for all patients.
- In-patient Record Authentication: All in-patient records must include entries by the unit faculty and senior residents, complete with their name and signature, to authenticate that they have admitted and examined the patient.
- Investigative Report Signatures: All investigative reports are required to be signed by a faculty member in the corresponding department.
The NMC also stated that it may conduct verification of the authenticity of these records as part of its assessments. The Commission warned of severe consequences for non-compliance: “If at any point of time, the patient records are found to be fake; action shall be taken against the concerned faculty & the college/institute”.
This directive reiterates a previous Public Notice which mandated the recording of ABHA-ID during patient registration in hospitals.