KOCHI: A national conference on ‘Allied Health Professionals and their critical role in the healthcare delivery system’ is being organised jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences on September 4 and 5.
The ‘National Initiative for Allied Health Sciences (NIAHS)’ will be leading the conference. Fisheries, Port and Excise minister K Babu will inaugurate the conference on September 4.
Director of National Initiative for Allied Health Sciences Kavitha Narayan, joint secretary with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Dr Viswas Mehta and State Health Secretary Dr Elangovan will be the guests of honour.
Dr Prem Nair, medical director and Dr Prathapan Nair, principal, Amrita School of Medicine will deliver the opening and welcome speeches respectively.
The main agenda of the conference is to pave way for a strong foundation for the development of Allied Health Science Courses in the country and particularly to regularize and streamline the curriculum for some of the important courses.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has entrusted NIAHS with the task of augmenting the skilled allied health human resource in the country to meet the growing demand for such personnel.
The Union Government has commissioned a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the establishment of a NIAHS, with five Regional Institutes of Allied Health Sciences (RIAHS) and supporting State Government Medical Colleges for conducting allied health science courses.
Standardisation and development of allied health system through the establishment of an interim body ‘National Board for Allied Health Sciences’, on the lines of National Board of Examination has been proposed and is under consideration.
The aim is to prevent unqualified people from practicing medicine and also to maintain the standard of these professions.