NMC cracks down on fake patients in medical colleges, makes ABHA-ID mandatory

To eliminate the practice of hiring fake patients, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has mandated that all teaching hospitals register patients under ABHA-ID. The move aims to ensure clinical record authenticity and links future MBBS and PG seat approvals to verified patient data

Hyderabad: To curb the menace of private teaching hospitals hiring fake patients, a practice often used to inflate bed occupancy ratio to meet regulatory requirements, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has mandated that all teaching hospitals register their patients under Ayushman Bharath Health Account ID (ABHA-ID).

The NMC emphasised the decision to link patients with ABHA-ID is to ensure authenticity and, in a notification, said, “The requirement of authentic patient records and clinical material in the associated hospital of medical college is not being followed by all medical colleges and for all patients.”

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What are Duplicate or fake patients and why do they exist?

There is a track record among private hospitals of hiring individuals as fake patients just before NMC inspections. Sometimes, patients with minor ailments not requiring admission are hired to inflate the patient numbers.

The NMC mandates a minimum of 75 per cent bed occupancy for most clinical departments such as general medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, orthopedics, obstetrics, gynecology, respiratory medicine etc. Quite often, private hospitals inflate the patient data through fake patient hiring to meet the requirements and renew their approvals for MBBS and PG medical degree courses.

To check this practice, the NMC said that the colleges should maintain records of all patients. “All inpatient records should have the entry of the unit faculty and senior residents with their name and signature authenticating that they have admitted and seen the patient,” it said.

Medical colleges were also asked to maintain ‘clean’ investigative reports, and they should be signed by a faculty member in the corresponding department. “If at any point in time, the patient records are found to be fake, action shall be taken against the concerned faculty and the college/institute,” it said.

In it notice to all teaching hospitals, the NMC Secretary, Dr B Srinivas, clarified that teaching hospitals should not deny treatment to patients if they do not have an ABHA-ID card.

“No patient should be denied treatment without the ABHA ID. However, for decisions in the assessment for the academic year of 2025-26 and thereafter, the patients and related clinical material authenticated with ABHA ID will only be counted,” he said.

NMC Instructions

· Mandates ABHA-ID for patient registration

· Ensure authenticity in Clinical Records

· To check prevalence of fake patient practices

· Fraudulent practices adopted to meet 75 per cent Bed Occupancy Norms

· Strict Verification and Penalties to be taken up by NMC

· Future Assessment for academic permissions of MBBS and PG seats linked to ABHA-ID