The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020
Recently, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020 was passed unanimously by the Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to regulate and standardize the education and practice of allied and healthcare professionals. The group of allied professionals is large and the Bill is trying to regulate this field by providing dignity to their roles.
Key Points mentioned,
Allied Health Professional:
The Bill defines an ‘allied health professional’ as an associate, technician, or technologist trained to support the diagnosis and treatment of any illness, disease, injury, or impairment. Such a professional should have obtained a diploma or degree. The duration of the degree/diploma should be at least 2,000 hours (over a period of two to four years).
Healthcare Professional:
A ‘healthcare professional’ includes a scientist, therapist, or any other professional who studies, advises, researches, supervises, or provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative, therapeutic, or promotional health services. Such a professional should have obtained a degree. The duration of the degree should be at least 3,600 hours (over a period of three to six years).
Allied and Healthcare Professions:
The Bill specifies certain categories of allied and healthcare professions as recognized categories. These are mentioned in the Schedule to the Bill and include life science professionals, trauma and burn care professionals, surgical and anesthesia related technology professionals, physiotherapists, and nutrition science professionals. The central government may amend this Schedule after consultation with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Profession.
National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions: The Bill sets up the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions.
Structure:
It will consist of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, five members representing various Departments/Ministries of the central government, one representative from the Directorate General of Health Services, three Deputy Directors or Medical Superintendents appointed on a rotational basis from amongst medical institutions and 12 part-time members representing State Councils, among others.
Functions:
The Commission will perform the following functions with regard to Allied and Healthcare Professionals.
1. Creating and maintaining an online Central Register of all registered professionals.
2. Providing basic standards of education, courses, curriculum, staff qualifications, examination, training, maximum fee payable for various categories.
Professional Councils:
The Commission will constitute a Professional Council for every recognized category of allied and healthcare professions. The Professional Council will consist of a president and four to 24 members, representing each profession in the recognized category. The Commission may delegate any of its functions to this Council.
State Councils:
Within six months from the passage of the Bill, state governments will constitute State Allied and Healthcare Councils. It will complement the functioning of the National Commission and maintain a State Register.
Permission for Establishment of Institutions:
Prior permission of the State Council will be required to:
Establish a new institution.
Open new courses, increase the admission capacity, or admit a new batch of students to existing institutions.
If such permission is not sought, then any qualification granted to a student from such an institution will not be recognized under the Bill.
Offences and Penalties:
No person is allowed to practice as a qualified allied and healthcare practitioner other than those enrolled in a State Register or the National Register. Any person who contravenes this provision will be punished with a fine of Rs. 50,000.
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All the information are taken from the Bill and not said by the author of this blog. This post is issued in public interest, the author is not responsible for anything written on the Bill.
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