LG gives green signal to National Medical Register for practitioners to serve in Ladakh

In a major healthcare reform aimed at addressing the acute shortage of doctors and specialists in Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday approved a draft notification allowing all medical practitioners registered under the National Medical Register to practice in the Union Territory without requiring any additional approval or No Objection Certificate (NOC).

As per government regulations, registration of a medical practitioner is mandatory with the respective State/UT Medical Council in which the practitioner intends to practice. But since the UT of Ladakh does not have its own Medical Council and Dental Council, LG directed the issuance of an order making medical practitioners registered under the National Medical Register eligible to practice in the UT of Ladakh. He has also directed to provide clarity to applicants and the general public in this regard.

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The decision forms part of the Administration’s ongoing Deregulation 2.0 reforms and is expected to substantially improve the availability of healthcare professionals, including medical officers and doctors, particularly in remote and underserved areas of Ladakh.

Ladakh has been facing an acute shortage of doctors and specialists for several years, with many sanctioned posts remaining vacant. Consequently, the healthcare system has had to rely heavily on contractual doctors/medical officers/specialists engaged under the National Health Mission (NHM), often affecting the availability of specialised medical services in far-flung areas.

“Quality healthcare is a fundamental necessity for every citizen. This reform will help attract more qualified medical practitioners to Ladakh, thereby addressing the shortage of doctors and specialists, and strengthening healthcare delivery, particularly in remote and difficult areas. It is a major step towards ensuring better access to healthcare services for the people of Ladakh while also advancing the objectives of Deregulation 2.0 and ease of professional practice,” said Saxena.

Under the approved framework, all medical practitioners whose names are duly entered in the National Register maintained under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, shall be eligible to practice as medical practitioners in the Union Territory of Ladakh, subject to the provisions of the Act and rules and regulations framed thereunder.

The approval follows extensive deliberations under Priority Area 19 (Healthcare) of Deregulation 2.0, which seeks to simplify the process for medical practitioners registered in any State, Union Territory or the National Medical Register to practice in another Union Territory without requiring additional approvals or No Objection Certificates (NOCs).