The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Bill, 2020

About National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions [NCAHP] Bill, 2020 

Objective:

• The Bill seeks to regulate and standardize the education and practice of allied and healthcare professionals.
• Ministry: Health and Family Welfare

Allied health professionals and their role in the delivery of healthcare services-

Allied health professionals are individuals engaged in the delivery of health or related care. Their area of expertise includes therapeutic, diagnostic, curative, preventive, and rehabilitative interventions.

Role- They are the first to recognize the problems of the patients and serve as safety nets. Their awareness of patient care accountability adds tremendous value to the healthcare team in both the public and private sectors.

Key provisions of the NCAHP bill 2020

1. Definition of Allied health professional: The Bill defines an allied health professional as an associate, technician, or technologist. The professional, who is trained to support the diagnosis and treatment of any illness, disease, injury, or impairment. For example- The bill recognizes over 50 professions such as physiotherapists, optometrists, nutritionists, medical laboratory professionals, radiotherapy technology professionals.
2. 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 under this Bill.  The duration of the degree should be at least 3,600 hours (over a period of three to six years).
3. The bill uses the International System of Classification of Occupations (ISCO code) to classify allied professionals.
   • This allows for greater global mobility and better prospects for such professionals.
   • It will benefit up to 8-9 lakh current allied and healthcare professionals.
4. The establishment of a central statutory body as a National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions. It shall perform the following functions:
   • To frame policies and standards.
   • To govern professional conduct.
   • Also, to recommend credentials.
   • Further, to establish and maintain a central registry.
5. Professional Councils: The Commission will constitute a Professional Council for every recognised category of allied and healthcare professions.  The Professional Council will consist of a president and four to 24 members, representing each profession in the recognised category.  The Commission may delegate any of its functions to this Council.
6. The Bill has the provision for state allied and healthcare councils to execute major functions through autonomous boards.
   • The state councils are in charge of implementation, while the National Commission is in charge of policy formulation.
7. 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.

Why government’s recognition of allied healthcare professionals is a paradigm shift?

• Stressful life due to modern lifestyle, rapid urbanization
• Rising chronic non-communicable disease burden.
• An increasing proportion of elderly people.

The above issues require a change in healthcare delivery methods. Therefore, trained, allied health professionals are needed to care for patients with mental illnesses, the elderly, those in need of palliative treatment. Also, it will enable professional services for lifestyle change related to physical activity and diets.

Way forward-

• Allied healthcare professionals are an important part of the medical profession. Their contribution is equal to, if not greater than, that of doctors.
• The law would increase job opportunities for allied and healthcare professionals and also provide dignity to their valuable works.

Source- The Indian Express