New bill on healthcare in offing
In a bid to provide regulation and maintenance of standards of education and practice of allied and healthcare professionals, a new bill that seeks to maintain standards in the training and education of allied and healthcare professionals is in the offing.
The draft — “Allied and Healthcare Professional’s Central Council Bill, 2015 — proposes uniform entry examination for admission into allied and healthcare qualifications institutions at the graduate, post- graduate and doctoral- level has been put up for suggestions and comments by the Union health ministry.
According to the proposed draft, the Central government shall prescribe the minimum standards of education, coursesm currcula, physical and instructional facilities, staff pattern, staff qualifications, quality instructions, assessment, examination, training, research, continuing professional education and promote innovations in the professions prescribed under the rules by the Central government.
The draft bill also proposes to set up an overarching council — a central council which will be responsible for the maintenance of uniform standards of education in the respective disciplines and registration as well as licensing of qualified personnel for practising the professions. As per the draft, the state councils which will work at the state
The draft bill also proposes to set up an overarching council
level to regulate the professional conduct of allied healthcare professional through enforcing the standards of professional conduct and etiquetter to be observed by professionals for each cadre and take disciplinary action, including removal of a professional’s name from the register in case found guilty of violating rules.
The proposed bill will establish a central statutory authority having secretary of department of health and family welfare or a nominee not below the rank of additional secretary ( exofficio) will be the chairperson of the council and the special director general of health service ( Spl DGHS) department of health & family welfare or a nominee not below the rank of DDG( M) ( ex- officio) will be the vice- chairperson of the council.
Significantly, on the issue of prohibition of collection of capitation fee, donation etc., the draft bill says, “No person or allied and healthcare institution who is in charge of, or is responsible for the management of any institution, shall — ( a) accept, either directly or indirectly any donation, gift or other payment ( by whatever name called), whether in cash or in kind, any amount by way of capitation fee; or ( b) receive any fee or amount in excess of scale of fees prescribed by the council.”