NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Monday set a two-month deadline for Union and state govts to establish national commission and state councils under the three-year-old National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 and said failure would force SC to take coercive action against concerned dept secretaries.
A bench of CJI D Y Chandrachud, and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took Centre to task for not filing its affidavit in response to its Sept 22, 2023 notice on a PIL by Joint Forum of Medical Technologists of India.The bench said mushrooming of institutions providing courses in allied and healthcare aspects of medical treatment is worrisome and absence of a regulatory body, despite the enactment of a law, was even more inexplicable.
“Both Union and state govts have failed to discharge their duties,” the bench recorded in its order and said, “Union and state govts shall take necessary steps for implementation of the 2021 Act by Oct 12. Failure to comply with the directions may force the apex court to take coercive steps for implementation of the law.”
It asked Union health secretary to convene a meeting of all state health secretaries in two weeks to discuss the roadmap to be laid down for taking measures for implementation of the Act. It asked the states and UTs to file a status report on implementation of NCHAP Act with the Union ministry, which in turn would compile the data and place it before the court on Oct 12.
NCAHP Act was enacted on March 28, 2021, recognising the critical importance of human resources for health. The Act was part of the govt’s attempt to provide universal health coverage, a mandate which is vitally dependent on an adequate and effective health workforce providing care at all levels in both the public and private sectors.
A bench of CJI D Y Chandrachud, and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took Centre to task for not filing its affidavit in response to its Sept 22, 2023 notice on a PIL by Joint Forum of Medical Technologists of India.The bench said mushrooming of institutions providing courses in allied and healthcare aspects of medical treatment is worrisome and absence of a regulatory body, despite the enactment of a law, was even more inexplicable.
“Both Union and state govts have failed to discharge their duties,” the bench recorded in its order and said, “Union and state govts shall take necessary steps for implementation of the 2021 Act by Oct 12. Failure to comply with the directions may force the apex court to take coercive steps for implementation of the law.”
It asked Union health secretary to convene a meeting of all state health secretaries in two weeks to discuss the roadmap to be laid down for taking measures for implementation of the Act. It asked the states and UTs to file a status report on implementation of NCHAP Act with the Union ministry, which in turn would compile the data and place it before the court on Oct 12.
NCAHP Act was enacted on March 28, 2021, recognising the critical importance of human resources for health. The Act was part of the govt’s attempt to provide universal health coverage, a mandate which is vitally dependent on an adequate and effective health workforce providing care at all levels in both the public and private sectors.
