NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)

Context: The medical education regulator has directed all medical colleges to make Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts or digital IDs mandatory for seeing patients.

National Medical Commission (NMC)

• About: The NMC stands as India's primary regulatory authority for medical education and practice, ensuring adherence to the highest standards in healthcare education and training nationwide.
• Established by: National Medical Commission Act, 2019, the NMC commenced its operations on September 25, 2020, following a gazette notification dated September 24, 2020. 
• This act dissolved the Board of Governors previously established under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
• Replaced: NITI Aayog recommended the replacement of Medical Council of India (MCI) with National Medical Commission (NMC).
• Mission: Improving access to quality and affordable medical education, striving for equitable distribution of medical professionals across the nation.
• Aim: To promote universal healthcare by fostering a community health perspective, making medical services accessible to all citizens.

Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID

• About: It is a randomly generated 14-digit number designed to uniquely identify individuals, authenticate them, and interconnect their health records across various systems and stakeholders.
• Launched: In 2021, by NHA (National Health Authority)
• Nodal Agency: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• Part of: Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
• Features:

o Cashless Transactions: It enables cashless transactions for eligible beneficiaries seeking treatment at empanelled healthcare facilities.

o Electronic Health Records (EHR): It integrates electronic health records, facilitating the storage and retrieval of patient information. 

o Portability: The accounts are designed to be portable across various healthcare providers empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.