Two key health Bills – the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill (NNMC), and the National Dental Commission Bill – were passed by Lok Sabha on Friday during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament without debate and amid Opposition uproar.
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The Bills are aimed at repealing the Dentists Act, 1948, and the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947, and will enhance transparency and quality in the fields of nursing, midwifery, and dentistry.
According to the Indian Nursing Council records, till 2022, there were around 33.41 lakh nursing personnel registered in the country and the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023, seeks to provide for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by nursing and midwifery professionals, assessment of institutions, maintenance of national and State registers and creation of a system to improve access, research and development along with the adoption of the latest scientific advancement in the nursing and midwifery profession.
The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill aims to set up the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC), which will replace the existing Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947, to reform nursing and midwifery education and profession in India.
Meanwhile, the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, seeks to regulate the profession of dentistry, provide quality and affordable dental education, and make accessible high-quality oral healthcare and related matters to bring on par with global standards. According to government data, the country has 2.89 lakh registered dentists.
