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| EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 53
| Issue : 3 | Page : 97-98 |
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State allied and healthcare professions council and information of professional significance
Anil Kumar Srivastava
Director and Consultant, Rehabcare; Honorary Director and Consultant, Deenbandhu Rehabilitation Center, Ayodhya; President, The All India Occupational Therapists' Association; WFOT Delegate (India); Executive Chairman/Editor-in-Chief, The Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy; Executive Chairman, The Academic Council of Occupational Therapy, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| Date of Submission | 03-Sep-2021 |
| Date of Acceptance | 03-Sep-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 12-Oct-2021 |
Correspondence Address:
Anil Kumar Srivastava
93, Laxmanpuri, Faizabad Road, Lucknow - 226 016, Uttar Pradesh
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/ijoth.ijoth_60_21
How to cite this article:
Srivastava AK. State allied and healthcare professions council and information of professional significance. Indian J Occup Ther 2021;53:97-8 |
How to cite this URL:
Srivastava AK. State allied and healthcare professions council and information of professional significance. Indian J Occup Ther [serial online] 2021 [cited 2023 Jun 7];53:97-8. Available from: http://www.ijotonweb.org/text.asp?2021/53/3/97/328130 |
The All India Occupational Therapists' Association (AIOTA) has been continuously working hard since 1952 in close cooperation of members, institutions, and state branches with the sole aim of uplifting the standards of practice, education, and research in the field of occupational therapy (OT). The recently constituted “National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021” has infused happiness among members of the AIOTA, as a long-awaited dream of OT professionals of the country has now come to a reality. This success of the AIOTA is being considered as an achievement to be recorded in history of the national association. The valued contribution and professional dedication of members, institutions, and branches toward serving humanity during corona pandemic, is also unique and praiseworthy. It also has received overwhelming appreciation from the Government of India, the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), and occupational therapists (OTs) from overseas.
| National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 and State Occupational Therapy Council | |  |
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021 came into existence on March 28, 2021. The Act recognizes OT as an independent profession and as a recognized category of health-care profession. OT being one of the recognized categories of health-care professions has been rightly provided independent National Council for OT Professionals in the proposed NCAHP Act. Not only this but also the bill provides the roadmap for formulation of separate council for OT in all states of India: a landmark step toward nationwide regulation and standardization of OT in India.[1] The sincere efforts of the current and past AIOTA executive committee team have ensured that the identity and independence of the profession is established forever.
Considering the statutory timeline and importance, the initiative has been taken by the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India vide, his letter addressed to chief secretaries of each state of India, for constitution of the State Allied and Healthcare Council within the time frame of 6 months.
The NCAHP Act provides that every state government shall, by notification, within 6 months from the date of commencement, constitutes a state council: to be called as the State Allied and Healthcare Council, for exercising such powers and discharging such duties as may be laid down under this Act. The state councils will be the key statutory bodies that will carry out most of the functions prescribed in the Act, whether they pertain to registration of professionals, ensuring standards of undergraduate or postgraduate courses, or giving various statutory permissions to institutes.
The need now is that the state branches and members of the AIOTA should take immediate steps in pursuing the health authorities of the state governments for an early establishment of the State Allied and Healthcare Council and thereafter to set up the State Occupational Therapy Council under the ambit of the State Allied and Healthcare Council in accordance with the provisions stated in the Gazette Notification for establishment of the NCAHP Act, 2021.
The list of OT professionals working in the government and private sectors should be provided to state governments for nomination of OTs for the establishment of the State OT Council. The information pertaining to OT education centers, faculty members, and clinical OTs, superannuated and/or self-employed in their own clinics and centers in the state, should also be sent to state governments to gear up the work in this issue of great professional significance.
We all as members of the AIOTA need to ensure our all efforts with a sole aim that this achievement should be effectively utilized for the standardization and upgradation of OT in all the states of the country.
| Occupational Therapy Modules with Key Resources and MCQs for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Care | | |
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, constituted a Thematic Expert Group for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) training content development in early August 2021. The AIOTA was contacted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for sending its contribution for the development of key modules related to OT in COVID-19. The modules developed by these expert groups would be peer reviewed and if approved would be updated on the Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) portal. It was also made open to all professionals who can get certified and be eligible to work in COVID hospitals. The modules with key resources and Multiple Choice Questions were sent to the ministry within the desired time period. The modules sent are being reviewed for approval and updating on the Government of India's iGOT platform.
| World Occupational Therapy Day and All India Occupational Therapists' Association's OT India Month 2021 | | |
OT Day and AIOTA's OT India Month 2021 celebration by state branches and institutions in India focused on valued contribution of OT in rebuilding of life and fostering well-being and interpersonal connections, which is grossly affected due to occupational disruption following COVID-19 pandemic. AIOTA has decided to celebrate World OT Day and OT India Month 2021 in an innovative mode. A webinar is being arranged on “Occupational Therapy as a Promising Career” exclusively designed for the faculties, students, and parents of 10th, 11th, and 12th classes all over India. This event will be convened on the World OT Day (October 27, 2021, from 9.00 am onward). The webinar will have 12 sessions in different regional languages. Each session is designed for 1 h inclusive of question and answer session. The key objectives are to sensitize the teachers, students, and parents about the unique role in health-care system and also the scope of OT globally. It aims for guiding the students to take up the profession of OT as a career option.
| References | | |
| 1. | Government of India, Ministry of Law and Justice, Legislative Department. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act; 2021 (Publication No. 14-2021). [New Delhi, India]. Available from: https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2021/226213.pdf. [Last accessed on 2021 Jul 10; Last updated on 2021 Mar 28].  |
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