Govt moots single health council

Panel to replace five existing regulatory bodies, including MCI

 
A 15-member task force headed by Union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal has suggested introducing new legislation in Parliament to pave the way for the NCHRH. The bill may be expected in the coming winter session.

Once the new over-arching council is in place, the Pharmacy Council, Dental Council, Nursing Council and Rehabilitation Council besides the all powerful MCI—all created through various acts of Parliament between 1948 and 1992— will cease to exist.

“Professional councils were set up by the statutes of Parliament to regulate the practice of their respective profession. However, many of these councils serve as little more than lobby groups for their members and have not served India’s health goals well,” says a ministerial note on the NCHRH in possession with Deccan Herald.

The 11-member NCHRH will look after both undergraduate and post-graduate health education. It is mandated to maintain a live electronic register of health professionals so that the exact number of doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists are known.

The NCHRH plans to revamp the medical education system by proposing national level exit examination at post-graduate level to begin with.

The NCHRH is aimed at keeping the entire gamut of medical education with the Health Ministry.

It is being given an additional push by the ministry after the proposed All India Council for Higher Education headed by Yash Pal recommended bringing all tertiary education—including medical education— under a common regulatory umbrella. While there was a tussle between the ministries of health and HRD over the control of medical education sector till about a month back, it is learnt that the balance has tilted in favour of health,
thanks to the intervention from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Setting up the council is one of the items in Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s 100 days agenda. The NCHRH chairman and secretary will be selected by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet that will take the decision on the advice of a selection panel.

The selection panel will consist of cabinet secretary, principal secretary to the PM, health secretary and two technical experts. The NCHRH chairman will have a fixed term of three years. A search committee convened by the health secretary will shortlist 33 names for the NCHRH out of which the final eleven will be chosen by the selection panel.

The NCHRH will be constituted as a compact autonomous body independent of government control with adequate powers including quasi-judicial ones. An advisory body will guide the council.