Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Dr Kalumbi Shangula, the Minister of Health and Social Services has introduced the Health Professions Council of Namibia Bill, which seeks to reduce the number of health regulatory bodies from five to one umbrella body.
Esther Muinjangue, the deputy minister of health and social services, argued in Parliament on Tuesday that the bill is long overdue and would help reduce the number of council members and save money on travel, meetings, and other expenses.
“It means that there are five acts or laws currently administered by one secretariat. The bill makes provision for the establishment of a single Health Professions Council of Namibia, which will replace the existing five Health Professions Councils and serve as the umbrella body to regulate and control the health professions in Namibia,” she said.
Currently, the Allied Health Professions Council of Namibia consists of 15 members, the Medical and Dental Council of Namibia has 12 members, and the Nursing Council of Namibia, the Pharmacy Council of Namibia, and the Social Work and Psychology Council of Namibia each consist of 8 members, resulting in a total of 51 members.
Muinjangue added that the bill further attempts to consolidate five acts, which were almost the same, into one act.
Once enacted, the Health Professions Council of Namibia will carry out the powers and functions of the existing five councils.
“The bill thus introduces a unitary regulatory authority for all healthcare professions in Namibia without them losing their identities and opportunities to deal with matters that are profession-specific. These structural changes will ease administration, as there will be one registrar and one secretariat to cater for all healthcare professions. I want to believe this arrangement will be more cost-effective, efficient, and effective, as the new council will consist of 11 members compared to the current 51,” she explained.
According to Muinjangue, there may be some savings on the sitting and travel expenses for the number of council members.
She explained that this is because the law sets a minimum number of council meetings per year, but the availability of funds can manipulate the number of meetings for boards and committees.
According to her, a smaller number of council members will also not be required to hire meeting venues, as is currently the case with the Medical, Dental, and Allied Health Professions councils.
“Major savings will also come from audit fees, as each council currently has its own bank accounts that are audited and reported separately at high fees,” she motivated.
