The Union Cabinet approved on Thursday a draft Bill for the establishment of national and State-level councils for regulation and standardisation of education and services provided by allied healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists and nutritionists. Currently, allied and healthcare professionals remain unidentified, unregulated and under-utilised. The Cabinet has also approved the setting up of Medical College at Silvassa in the Union Territory (UT) of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Welcoming the move, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said that it will help better medical infrastructure and enhance medical education opportunities to youth.

He said that the draft Bill for the establishment of national and State-level councils for regulation and standardisation of education and services provided by allied healthcare professionals will cover 15 major professional categories, including 53 professions in allied and healthcare streams.

Offences and penalties clauses have been included in the bill to check malpractices.

He said professional advisory bodies under the central and State councils will examine issues in detail and provide recommendations relating to specific recognised categories.

Nadda stated that this legislation will bring all existing allied and healthcare professionals on board within a few years from the date of establishment of the council.

"This will pave the way for high quality multi-disciplinary care in line with the vision of Ayushman Bharat," he said.

The central council will comprise 47 members, of whom 14 shall be ex-officio members representing diverse and related roles and functions and remaining 33 shall be non-ex-officio members who mainly represent the 15 professional categories, the statement said.

 The State councils are also envisioned to mirror the central council, comprising seven ex-officio and 21 non-ex-officio members, and chairperson to be elected from amongst the non-ex-officio members.

 The bill will also have an overriding effect on any other existing law for any of the covered professions.  It also empowers the central and State Governments to make rules.

According to statement here, he nod for setting up the medical college at Silvassa, UT Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli at a capital cost of Rs 189 crore will be incurred in two years, 2018-19(Rs 114 crore) and 2019-20(Rs 75 crore) with yearly intake of 150 students. The project will be completed by 2019-20.