Rural Health Practitioners

The National Medical Commission Act, 2019. Community Health Providers

This blog post is part of a multi-part series. Our previous posts 1, 2 covered the salient features of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (NMC Act) where we highlighted some issues arising out of the same.

The NMC Act has some interesting aspects that relate to Community Health Providers (CHPs). We attempt to shed some light on this proposal.

Community Health Providers

The NMC Act, under Section 32(1) provides for granting of a limited license, “to practice medicine at mid-level as Community Health Provider to such person connected with modern scientific medical profession who qualify such criteria as may be specified by the regulations”. However, it also clarifies that the limited license granted under Section 32(1) shall not exceed one-third of the total number of licensed medical practitioners. Secondly, the scope of practice of CHPs has been limited and they can prescribe specified medicine independently, only in primary and preventive healthcare[1]. It has been clarified that in any situation other than primary and preventive healthcare, they may provide medicines only under the supervision of medical practitioners.
Continue Reading The National Medical Commission Act, 2019. Community Health Providers: Legitimate or Not