December 15, 2021
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
Honorable Members of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone have on Tuesday 14th December 2021, unanimously enacted the Allied Health Professionals Act 2021 into law.
The Bill seeks to provide for the establishment of the Allied Health Professional Council, to provide for regulation, including the registration of Allied Health Professions and Allied Health facilities, and to provide for other related matters.
Explaining the importance of the bill to Members of Parliament, the Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr. Augustine Anthony Sandi recalled that, the Bill was introduced and enacted into law by the previous Parliament under a private member motion, but noted that it was rejected by the former president, for more additional inputs and deliberations.
The Deputy Minister said the intention of the bill is to effectively monitor the profession, conduct a regular health sector survey and inspect medical training institutions for sustainability.
After comprehensive debate on the bill, a consensus was achieved by Members of Parliament to pass the bill into law thereby taking into cognizance its significance towards the improvement of the health sector.