When Doctors Can Move Healthcare Benefits

In a first-of-its-kind reform, Andhra Pradesh has thrown open its doors to doctors from across India by removing state registration hurdles. An MBBS graduate holding a recognised medical qualification and valid registration with any state or UT medical council in the country will now be allowed to practise in the state, without a separate Andhra Pradesh Medical Council registration or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the council where they are registered. The order cuts through a bureaucratic roadblock that has long deterred doctors — particularly young graduates and specialists — from moving to states where there are better opportunities. With Andhra Pradesh’s registered doctor base standing at roughly 1.05 lakh for a population of nearly 5 crore, and the country’s overall doctor-population ratio hovering at 1:811 against the WHO benchmark of 1:1,000, this is likely to help address shortages in specialist care and strengthen the state’s ambition to attract medical talent from across India.

Andhra Pradesh’s move also aligns with the broader objective behind the National Medical Commission’s efforts to create a seamless national registration framework. The “One Nation, One Registration” platform was launched in August 2024 to eliminate impediments to professional mobility. Yet only around 1,800 registration certificates have been issued so far, while more than 30,000 applications remain pending verification at state medical councils. By lowering barriers to mobility, Andhra Pradesh has not only moved to strengthen healthcare delivery, it has shown that states need not wait for administrative bottlenecks to be resolved before adopting the principle underlying the reform.