Regional Workshop on Health Practitioner Regulation

Substantial reforms in health practitioner regulation have been witnessed across countries of the South-East Asia Region (SEAR) in recent years. Noteworthy examples include the Indonesia Health Omnibus Law and the transformation of professional councils into national commissions with increased involvement from Ministries of Health (MoH) in India and Nepal. In 2023, WHO SEARO conducted a comprehensive review of health practitioner regulatory reforms in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Thailand. This review highlighted the challenges faced by countries in operationalizing regulatory reforms and underscored the need for greater cross-country learning from similarly situated nations.

Discussions between senior officials from the Ministries of Health in Indonesia and India during the regional regulatory review sparked the idea of organizing a workshop focused on health professional regulation. The Secretary of India's National Medical Commission also expressed enthusiasm for hosting such an event. Consequently, WHO-SEARO coordinated the "Regional Workshop on Health Practitioner Regulation" to facilitate the cross-country learning and cooperation on health practitioner regulation and the exploration of challenges and solutions related to implementing regulatory reforms for health practitioners across different countries in the region.

The workshop's planning was well-suited, leveraging the momentum generated by the Regional HRH Meeting in Sri Lanka in July 2023 and the Regional Review of Health Practitioner Regulation conducted by WHO-SEARO. Additionally, the imminent launch of global guidance by WHO HQ on the design, reform, and implementation of health practitioner regulation offered a chance for better alignment and synergy.

The three-day regional workshop, held in Jaipur, India, facilitated engagement and learning from a range of reforms undertaken in the country. Approximately seventy participants, including representatives from Ministries of Health, Health Professional Regulatory Bodies, councils, and international experts, actively participated in the three-day workshop (See Annexure 1- Agenda; Annexure 2- List of Participants). The workshop facilitated the gathering of regulators and officials from ministries of health under a single umbrella. This report aims to capture the key discussions, deliberations, and actions from the Regional Workshop on Health Practitioner Regulation held from 12 to 14 March 2024 in Jaipur.