Supreme Court sets 2-month deadline for implementation of allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021

The Supreme Court has given the Centre and state governments two months to fully implement the National Commission for Allied & Healthcare Professions Act (NCAHP), 2021. This law is crucial for regulating the education and practice of allied healthcare professionals, including technicians and therapists. The court emphasized the need to set up the necessary professional councils and state healthcare councils by October 15, 2024.

Urgency and consequences

Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, leading the bench, expressed concern over the slow implementation of the Act, which has been in force since May 2021. Despite the court's earlier notice in September 2023, only 14 states have formed the required councils, and many of them are not yet operational. The court stressed that the lack of regulation has allowed unregulated institutes to proliferate, offering substandard education. The bench warned that if the directive is not followed, coercive actions could be taken against those who fail to comply. The Union health ministry has been ordered to hold an online meeting with state health secretaries within two weeks to speed up the process.

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