Arunachal: State to have regulatory body for allied and healthcare professionals
NAHARLAGUN– The Directorate of Medical Education, Training & Research had a consultative and advocacy meeting with the representative of Directorate of Higher & Technical Education, Rajiv Gandhi University Rono Hills, Directorate of Health Services and Directorate of Family Welfare on the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Act, 2021 (NCAHP Act 2021).
In the meeting held on July 15, 2021 the highlights of the NCAHP Act 2021 and action required from the State were discussed.
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Act, 2021, will establish a statutory body or Commission that will frame policies and standards, regulate professional conduct and qualifications for allied healthcare professionals, besides providing uniformity of service standards across institutions in the country. The Bill was passed by the Parliament in March 2021.
The Act has provision for the States to set up State Allied and Healthcare Council to execute major functions of the Act through autonomous boards. The State Councils will be the implementation agencies while the National Commission will be the overarching body devising policies and it introduces the concept of maintaining a National and State register of all allied healthcare professionals.
Henceforth, permission for establishment of new allied and healthcare institutions, new courses of study etc. will be under the purview of the Act and that no person, other than a registered allied and healthcare professional, shall— (a) hold office as an allied and healthcare professional (by whatever name called) in Government or in any institution maintained by a local or other authority; (b) provide service in any of the recognised categories in any State; and (c) be entitled to sign or authenticate any certificate required by any law for the time being in force to be signed or authenticated by a duly qualified allied and healthcare professional.
The Act defines an allied health professional as an “associate, technician or technologist who is trained to perform any technical and practical task to support diagnosis and treatment of illness, disease, injury or impairment, and to support implementation of any healthcare treatment and referral plan recommended by a medical, nursing or any other healthcare professional, and who has obtained any qualification of diploma or degree under this Act” and healthcare professional as “a scientist, therapist or other professional who studies, advises, researches, supervises or provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative, therapeutic or promotional health services and who has obtained any qualification of degree under this Act”.
According to Dr Ingtasen Monlai ( PT ), the allied and health care services broadly include professional categories such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, ophthalmic sciences, nutrition sciences, medical laboratory and life sciences, medical radiology, imaging and therapeutic technology, medical technologists and physician associates, trauma, burn care and surgical/anesthesia-related technology, community care and behavioral health sciences and health information management and health informatics.
In the meeting it was decided to propose for establishment of the State Allied and Healthcare Council at the earliest so as to exercise such powers and discharge such duties as may be laid down under the Act. The meeting was chaired by Dr. R. Doye, Director of Medical Education Training & Research and attended by Dr. Emi Rumi, DFW, Dr. S. Bhattacharjee Add.DHS, Mr. Sanjay Bengia, DD (TE), Dr. S.E Khamti DDME, Dr. Akin Tana Tara SMO RGU, Dr. Nabam Peter HRS and Mrs. Kijum Karga DD (Nursing).
