BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government has streamlined procedures and formulated a set of guidelines for establishing high-quality institutions in different courses like nursing, pharmacy, allied medical science and physiotherapy.
As per the new guidelines, the involvement of district administrative officials in the inspection of such institutions has been done away with. The inspection before allowing any institution will now be conducted by a team of officials, who are experts in the medical or paramedical or nursing or allied science subjects related to the course applied.
The team of officials for the inspection of institutions will be suggested by the chairman of the councils concerned. A set of minimum standards of requirements in accordance with the recommendations of the councils has also been prescribed.
Private entrepreneurs will be encouraged for opening quality and sustainable educational institutions and generating skilled healthcare personnel in the state. The state government will take steps to set up such institutions as per demand in unserved areas as and when required.
The Health and Family Welfare department has also formulated guidelines for issuing NOC for different courses of nursing, D Pharm, B Pharm, M Pharm, DMLT, DMRT, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and different allied medical science to have a rational fee structure. NOC will be revoked if institutions are found unable to provide quality education and do not fulfil the minimum standard of requirements.
Health officials said the revision of guidelines and the new rule would facilitate establishment of high-quality professional institutions in the state and lead to availability of qualified and skilled health personnel in different streams.
Health secretary Shalini Pandit said as per the new rules the requirement of submission of geographic information system (GIS) and gap analysis data by applicants for determining the number of institutions in a district has been discontinued.
“Involvement of district officials like collector, ADM, BDO, deputy collector and tehsildar in the process would also be discontinued. The assessment for suitability of the institutions through inspection would be done by the subject experts. The new rules will be effective from 2023-24 academic session,” she added.