Centre to implement NCAHP Act, launch central register for AH professionals

The central government is planning to soon launch a central register for allied and healthcare professionals to create a repository of qualified allied healthcare personnel across the country, according to official sources.

This comes as the Supreme Court last month directed the Union and state governments to effectively implement the National Commission of Allied and Healthcare Professionals (NCAHP) Act, 2021 by October 2024.

Enacted by Parliament in 2021, the Act aims to provide for the regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by allied and healthcare professionals, assessment institutions, and maintenance of central and state registers.

The central repository for allied and healthcare professionals comes after the launch of similar registers for doctors, dentists, nurses, and healthcare facilities under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)’s “One Nation One Register” programme.

According to the Act, the NCAHP shall maintain an online and live register of persons in separate parts in each of the 56 recognised categories to be known as the Central Allied and Healthcare Professionals’ Register, containing information including the name and qualifications of the person.

The categories recognised as allied and healthcare professionals under the Act include technicians, therapists, and duty assistants, among others.

“The register will also serve as a repository for recognised institutions that provide allied and healthcare education. The professionals will be linked with the institutes as well,” a person in the know said.

The move stems from concerns over the unregulated mushrooming of unrecognised institutes providing courses in allied and healthcare aspects of medical treatment. “The lack of regulation, in fact, has led to a proliferation of institutes offering diplomas and certificate courses without any standardised curriculum or teaching methods,” he added.

“While the central register will open for enrolment, the verification process necessary for certification will get delayed due to the lack of state councils under the NCAHP,” sources said.

Subject to the conditions and restrictions laid down in the NCAHP Act, every person whose name is enrolled in the central register shall be free to provide any service within the defined scope of practice as an allied and healthcare professional.

“Only persons who are enrolled on the central register can hold office as an allied and healthcare professional in government or in any institution maintained by a local or other authority. They will have to enrol to provide service in any of the recognised categories in any state,” a person in the know said.

While the timeline for launch is not known, sources indicate that it could happen in the next two to three weeks, subject to ministry approval. Queries sent to the NCAHP and ABDM did not elicit a response till the time of going to print. Business Standard