NCAHP to soon form a regulatory panel to curb 'mushrooming' of unrecognised allied healthcare institutions

The Supreme Court (SC) recently instructed the state and central governments to establish a regulatory body to manage the highly unregulated allied healthcare sectors. The SC has set a two-month deadline to set up a national commission and state councils to control the ‘mushrooming’ of unrecognised institutions providing courses in allied and healthcare aspects of medical treatment.The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 was introduced three years ago and is still struggling to set up a panel to draft regulations and norms to streamline courses introduced under this category.
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) is struggling to form regulatory bodies and establish minimum operational standards. Also, due to the lack of action, various professions such as art therapists, art psychotherapists, athletic trainers, audiologists, auto-transfusionists, cardiovascular technologists, clinical neurophysiologists, and physiotherapists, continue to remain unregulated.
Talking to Education Times, Yagna Shukla, chairperson, NCAHP says, “Approximately 56 professions fall under its purview of the Allied and Healthcare Professions Act 2021. The NCAHP was established in January 2024, before which there was an interim committee, which had set up a few state councils. The NCAHP will speed up the process to form a panel consisting of members of the state councils. The state councils will be involved in groundwork to learn about the specific requirement and will submit a report as directed in the Act.” The NCAHP will ensure quality in streamlining the education curriculum, which will help in training the healthcare professions, adds Shukla.
Subpar education
As of date, there are no regulations to oversee or regulate the allied healthcare professions. Dr B Srinivas, secretary, National Medical Commission (NMC) says, “Several institutions are operating in small rooms or basements, with no minimum standards for curriculum, faculty, or quality infrastructure. The lack of regulatory norms has led to the proliferation of institutions operating without guidelines. These institutions often have exorbitant fees while providing below-average education and facilities. Consequently, graduates from these institutions enter the job market and are largely unprepared to handle patients efficiently.”
There is also an absence of a common entrance exam for admission into these allied and healthcare profession courses. The NMC has long been established as a regulatory body for medical colleges, and the NCAHP should draft similar regulations for the establishment and operation of colleges in these professions. These regulations should include guidelines on the number of departments required in an institute, the minimum number of faculty members in each department, the required classroom size, defined curriculum standards, lecture hours per subject, and the duration of practical training, adds Dr Srinivas.
NCAHP, however, is adhering to the deadline decided by the SC, which will start with the setting up of councils. “The formation of regulations is still under process and we are following the deadline provided by the court,” says Shukla.
Allied healthcare institutions should partner with hospitals for student internships, which will enhance practical knowledge and enable them to interact with patients. “Regular inspections should be conducted to ensure institutions adhere to the defined parameters set by the commission. Only institutions meeting all these standards should be granted recognition. Earlier, the Health Ministry instructed the NCAHP to draw structural inspiration from the NMC to ensure robust regulation and supervision,” says Dr Srinivas.