Ranchi: In a move aimed at bringing greater oversight and uniformity to allied healthcare education, the newly constituted Jharkhand State Allied and Healthcare Council on Tuesday decided to establish a regulatory framework for allied health courses, conduct examinations for transition-batch students and develop a dedicated digital portal for affiliations, examinations and registrations.The decisions were taken at the council’s first meeting chaired by additional chief secretary (health, medical education and family welfare) Ajay Kumar Singh. Among those present were director-in-chief of health services Dr Siddharth Sanyal, council chairperson Dr Manisha Kiran, Rims acting director Dr D K Sinha and other council members.Officials said the council would regulate diploma and other allied healthcare programmes across the state. Besides granting affiliations to colleges and institutions, the council will also register students after they complete their courses, creating a single regulatory mechanism for institutions, students and professionals in the sector.A key decision taken during the meeting was to conduct examinations for students belonging to transition batches who are currently enrolled in various courses. “The council also discussed courses whose final examinations could not be conducted earlier and said necessary decisions in such cases would be taken through the state cabinet,” informed an official statement from the health department.To strengthen its functioning, the council approved the creation of essential posts and the development of a dedicated web portal. The portal is expected to serve as a one-stop platform for information related to courses, examinations, registrations and other services for students, institutions and healthcare workers.Singh also suggested introducing a six-month special training programme for working healthcare personnel, including Sahiyas and multi-purpose workers (MPWs). He said the initiative could help upskill existing manpower while creating a larger pool of trained healthcare workers to support the state’s health system.The meeting also reviewed pending issues linked to earlier councils, including the transfer of assets and liabilities, human resource arrangements and procedures for regulation of institutions and courses.Officials said the council’s formation is aimed at creating a transparent, structured and uniform regulatory system for allied healthcare education and professional services in Jharkhand.
