Allied Healthcare (GAHC)

Allied OMS, the nation's largest doctor-owned and doctor-managed management services organization (MSO) representing oral and maxillofacial surgeons, today announced it has added Bill Murray as its Chief Financial Officer.

Bill's background is ideally suited to the trajectory of the company," according to Allied OMS CEO Dan Hosler. "Bill's experience in building and developing high-growth health care companies is exactly what we need as Allied OMS continues to grow throughout the country. His acumen in financial planning coupled with implementation know-how will allow us to make our vision for building the doctor-owned partnership for the future of oral surgery a reality.".

Bill noted that Allied OMS’s distinctive structure was a key factor in his decision to join: “I was drawn to Allied OMS because of its unique doctor-led model and its focus on alignment around patient outcomes. 

Dr. Jonathon Jundt, Allied OMS Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, commented: "Growth is just fine as long as it leads to genuine improvement for the surgeons and patients. Bill's vision will keep us continuing to invest in the people, equipment, and facilities that allow our physicians to do what they want to do and provide care more readily."

Bill's appointment follows Allied OMS' recent minority investment by 65 Equity Partners, which brings additional capital to fuel the growth of the platform. With Bill's business savvy, Allied is ideally positioned to propel its vision – engaging with innovative oral and maxillofacial surgeons who are willing to help pen the future of the specialty, construct resident and associate careers they love, grow de novo offices to better serve their patients, and help established practices realize their full growth potential. His experience will ensure that such projects are conducted sustainably and advance the country's only doctor-owned oral surgery platform.

Allied OMS is owned, governed, and led by physicians MSO coordinating oral and maxillofacial surgical practices across the country. Blending the advantages of private practice with the size and sophistication of institutional support, Allied OMS empowers surgeons to chart the future of their specialty. Allied OMS now aids 50+ location surgeons and has physician representation on all important committees and its Board of Directors.

The commission strives to implement improvement of healthcare quality through the assurance of competence and professionalism of the practitioners on a national level. It regulates the education, training, registration, and standards of practice of allied and healthcare professionals not regulated under any of the other councils such as the National Medical Commission or Indian Nursing Council. 

NCAHP divides allied and health professions into ten general categories such as Medical Laboratory Sciences, Physiotherapy, Nutrition Science, Occupational Therapy, Medical Radiology, and Health Information Management, among others. The wide variety of categories is intended to group different health professions under a single regulatory act to achieve a uniformity across the nation.

Some of the key functions of the NCAHP are curriculum planning and delivery, accreditation of education institutions, practicing registration management, and conducting continuous professional development. Registration for health professionals must be renewed by the commission every five years through ongoing skill acquisition and learning to deliver quality patient care.

The NCAHP recently brought out guidelines to launch new competency-based curricula for ten allied health care professions from the academic year 2026–2027. Universities and deemed universities need to form boards of studies as per NCAHP norms, and governments and state councils need to oversee compliance and report progress.

The commission has also issued draft regulations for registration of allied and healthcare professionals where professionals have to register on state councils and a central register in return for the release of a Unique Identification Number in return for practicing all over India. Provision is made for provisional registration for those with informal qualifications and appeals, renewal, and penalties for failure to register.

With its policy of regulation, curriculum reform, and professional development, the NCAHP is consolidating India's allied and healthcare industry human resources into a better, responsible, and harmonized healthcare industry that serves practitioners and patients across the country.

Mahindra University, Hyderabad, andApollo Healthcare Academytodaydeclared the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduceBachelor's programs in Allied Health Sciences jointly. This strategic partnership will address thegrowing allied health professional deficit in India and around the world and equip students with the academic excellence along with extensive clinical training.

The courses will be high-demand areas of specialization likeAnesthesia & Operation Theatre Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Cardiovascular Technology, etc. With the convergence of Mahindra University's world-class academic facilities and Apollo Healthcare Academy's clinical skills, the partnership will yield practice-oriented graduates to satisfy the needs of the healthcare sector.

The curriculum will be on par with that set by the National Commission for Allied & Healthcare Professionals (NCAHP) in order to enable national regulation and international accreditation. Clinical rotations in Apollo Hospitals and partnering healthcare organizations, including a final-year internship, will also be provided to the students.

Meeting a Global Need

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the health systems worldwide are also concerned with the dire allied health professional shortage, which is predicted to grow as populations age and healthcare needs rise. The program directly tackles this through the preparation of health professionals who are competent, confident, and ready to make an impact from day one.

Voices from the Partnership

Dr. Yajulu Medury, Vice Chancellor, Mahindra University, stated: "This partnership is our collective vision for creating highly competent healthcare professionals. By integrating Mahindra University's multidisciplinary academic excellence and Apollo's established healthcare experience, we are confident that we can create graduates who will leave an immediate lasting impact in society."

Dr. Rajinder Singh Chauhan, Professor & Dean, Centre for Life Sciences, Mahindra University added further: "The courses are a blend of academic rigor and experiential learning. Our students will not only study but also execute in actual healthcare environments, and thus they will be ready for jobs as well as for the future."

Mr. Sivaramakrishnan Venkateswaran, CEO, Apollo Knowledge, further said: "Apollo Healthcare Academy aims to bridge learning in the classroom and doing in hospitals. This partnership will give students the confidence, exposure, and skill set to succeed not only in India but also in overseas opportunities. This is all part of our global workforce development initiative to build and empower the next generation of health professionals who can drive genuine impact in health systems globally.".

Dr. Jagadeswaran, Head & Dean - Allied & Healthcare Professions, Apollo Institute of Hospital Management & Allied Sciences, said: "We are thrilled to take Apollo's model of experiential training to Mahindra University. Together, we will render allied health graduates relevant in the world and impactful at the local level."

What Students Can Expect

Shaping the Future of Healthcare

With this MoU, Mahindra University and Apollo Healthcare Academy reiterate their commitment to innovation in allied health education along with addressing the global shortage of the healthcare workforce. The two institutions will jointly create a strong pipeline of well-trained allied health professionals who are ready to make their impact on redesigning the future of healthcare in India and beyond.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) ban on distance-learning courses in psychology has been a big setback to the careers and higher learning of more than 1.3 lakh students across the country. Apart from the current student list of those who are already enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate psychology courses, even such graduates have begun suspecting the worthiness and reliability of their degree.

The action comes in the wake of a regulatory shift wherein certain subjects like psychology were brought under the purview of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP), a statutory body formed through the NCAHP Act of 2021. The Distance Education Bureau (DEB) of the UGC thus revoked previously granted permissions to universities to offer courses in psychology in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) modes.

It is this fresh rule that has generated mass panic and confusion among the institutions, students, and instructors. Institutions that have operated such courses for generations have to go through the process of adjustment to this new situation while the students remain in doubt regarding their future academic and professional life.

The decision was made at the 592nd meeting of the UGC following which the commission stated that certain allied and healthcare science courses such as psychology, microbiology, nutrition science, and biotechnology come under the regulation domain of the NCAHP framed by an Act in 2021.

UGC CITES NCAHP ACT; EXPERTS QUESTION INCLUSION

The NCAHP, regulating 10 allied healthcare professional groups presently, has included "psychologist," "behavioural analyst," and "mental health support workers" in its list of gains under its regulation. It is because the overlap with the current courses in psychology that the UGC made efforts to prevent the universities from awarding psychology degrees under Open and Distance Learning (ODL) learning modes from July 2025.

The critics, however, opine that the academic psychology syllabus in distance courses is not following strictly healthcare functions, with ex-Delhi University SOL principal Dr US Pandey terming the distance course comparable to what is offered at regular colleges and inquiring why that is being singled out. 

STUDENTS CAUGHT OFF GUARD

The prohibition has created general anxiety among students, with existing enrollments left wondering whether their certificates will be honoured and graduates unable to continue studying because of the absence of a grace period and uncertain destinies.

The absence of a grace period, normal in amendments to rules, added to the problem, and authorities were apprehensive about lawsuits against the UGC.

POPULAR, EXPANDING FIELD SUDDENLY BRACKETED

Psychology distance education programs have seen all-time high increases in the past two years. DEB statistics state that while there were 17 universities offering courses on psychology through ODL in 2020-21, there are 57 universities in 2024-25. They consist of 36 state universities, 11 state open universities, five private colleges, three deemed-to-be universities, and two central universities, Delhi University and Mizoram University.

Telangana and Tamil Nadu top the list of state universities providing such courses with 20 and eight, respectively. Osmania University, for example, has psychology as one of the subjects of a combined BA course in economics and English.

NEP GOALS IN QUESTION

Most experts believe that the ban is in contravention of the letter and spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) and maintains that it closes classroom doors to learning and is an unjustified barrier, which contradicts the policy push towards flexibility and inclusion.

As the pressure from the teaching community and student union mounts, the attention of all now comes to whether the education ministry and the UGC will lift the ban at the cost of demoralizing thousands in expectations of a psychological tomorrow.

The Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today presided over a meeting to review comprehensively the standards and quality of nursing education in the Union Territory with a focus on the fact that nursing is the backbone of the healthcare delivery system.

It was presided over by Secretary, Health & Medical Education; Principals of GMC Jammu and Srinagar; Chairperson, J&K Allied & Healthcare Council (A&HCC); Registrar, J&K Nursing Council; Principals of Nursing Colleges, and other senior officers.

In the course of the review, the Chief Secretary assessed the operations of newly opened Nursing Colleges in various districts, the scope of courses offered and student enrolment. He instructed that diploma-level courses be increasingly upgraded into degree and postgraduate studies to develop sophisticated capacities in the nursing field.

He also directed early completion and operationalisation of Nursing Colleges at Sopore, Kulgam, Shopian, and Budgam, along with feasibility of opening such colleges at some left-out districts. The Chief Secretary also emphasized phasing out redundant courses with no significant contribution towards patient care, and the introduction of new courses in response to emerging healthcare requirements.

In a review of the working of the newly formed J&K State Allied & Healthcare Council (SA&HC), the Chief Secretary ordered that it be further developed with sufficient manpower and stringent monitoring systems, as per the National Commission for Allied & Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) guidelines and checklists of institutional preparedness.

Reaffirming the commitment of the Government, Chief Secretary reiterated that it is crucial to improve nursing education and allied healthcare systems to boost patient care, address the increasing demands on healthcare, and develop a skilled workforce to serve the people of J&K.

Apart from this, Chief Secretary presided over an inter-department coordination meeting to discuss the holistic action plan on food safety in the Union Territory.

The review is in the wake of recent raids on spurious meat and milk products in various regions of the UT, which has raised serious doubts regarding food adulteration and public safety.

The meeting was held with the presence of Commissioner Secretary, FCS&CA; Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD; Secretary, H&ME; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu/Kashmir; Secretary, Law; Commissioner, FSD; Director, FCS&CA, Jammu/Kashmir; DG, Budget; DirectorHealth, Jammu/Kashmir along with other senior officers.

During the deliberation, the Chief Secretary instructed the Food and Civil Supplies Department to act strictly against unlabelled and non-standard packaged foodstuffs, especially imported foods that are not marking ingredients and product details, calling such acts blatant disregard for law.

He underwent a critical assessment of the action plan drafted by the Food Safety Wing in liaison with important departments, such as Housing & Urban Development, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and District Administration. The plan details immediate as well as long-term steps for eliminating the entry of substandard food products into J&K and enforcing stringent adherence to food safety standards.

Chief Secretary asserted that proper inter-departmental coordination would be the backbone of this initiative. He instructed all concerned departments to operate in close coordination with each other so that only safe, hygienic, and quality food is available in the market

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided that psychology degrees obtained under distance learning or online schooling will no longer be acknowledged. The order, which is to be implemented from the academic session commencing July–August 2025, impacts close to 1.3 lakh students who are already pursuing or possess BA, BSc, MA, and MSc psychology degrees through distance learning. Ever since the decision was announced two months back, the UGC has received applications and queries in large numbers from students and universities.

Why is psychology excluded from distance learning?

The move is a result of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021, which brought psychology and allied health sciences under the regulation of a central authority. Psychology, along with behavioural sciences, microbiology, food and nutrition, biotechnology, clinical nutrition, and allied courses is now regulated by the NCAHP.

Prior to the Act, allied health studies were characterized by incoherent state-level standards, low-quality curricula, and even counterfeit institutions and suspicious accreditation agencies. The NCAHP provided model curricula in order to bring about uniformity and took regulatory authority over 10 allied health professions, such as psychology.

Therefore, the UGC's Distance Education Bureau (DEB) officially revoked approval for psychology programmes in distance or online modes. The resolution was made at the UGC's 592nd meeting on July 23, 2025.

Impact on universities and students

The cancellation of recognition is a huge blow for 57 institutions of higher learning that teach psychology through distance education. Tamil Nadu and Telangana have the maximum number of such courses. Universities have been instructed to discontinue admissions with immediate effect under the new order. From July 2025, any psychology degree obtained through distance mode will be deemed invalid, posing serious issues for students looking to get higher education or employment in the field.

The UGC has instructed higher education institutions to implement the decision and brought the matter to the attention of the Ministry of Education with a suggestion that a reconsideration of the ban be made. Yet, no policy shift has been announced.

Students who have already undertaken distance psychology degrees now face uncertainty over their qualifications, with questioning over academic and career opportunities. Students and universities alike wait for transition guidelines or alternative routes but for the moment, the ban is steadfast.