Pakistan mandates AHPC registration for allied health workers by June 30

Pakistan mandates AHPC registration for allied health workers by June 30

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has introduced a nationwide licensing requirement for allied health professionals, marking a major shift toward tighter regulation of the country’s technical healthcare workforce. Under a new directive issued by the Allied Health Professionals Council (AHPC), all individuals working in allied health fields must be formally registered with the council by June 30, 2026.

The notification, dated January 16, 2026, instructs hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, medical training institutions, and armed forces healthcare units to ensure that their allied health staff hold valid AHPC registration. Institutions have also been warned not to recruit or retain any allied health worker who fails to meet the licensing requirement after the deadline.

The move follows resolutions adopted during the 10th meeting of the technical sub-committee of the Allied Health Professionals Council held on December 10, 2025. Officials say the decision enforces provisions of the Allied Health Professionals Council Act 2022, which makes council registration compulsory for professional practice in allied health disciplines.

According to the council, all currently employed professionals must complete their registration through the official AHPC online system within the given timeframe. Healthcare facilities have been advised to audit their workforce records and ensure compliance to avoid service disruptions and regulatory action.

Scope of allied health professions

Allied health professionals play a central role in diagnostics, treatment delivery, and rehabilitation services across Pakistan’s healthcare system. The council has recognized a broad range of technical and clinical support fields for registration.

These include anesthesia technology, blood banking, medical laboratory sciences with specialties such as histopathology, microbiology, molecular biology, hematology, clinical chemistry, and virology. Other regulated areas include surgical technology, cardiac care, renal and dialysis services, dental technology, radiography and imaging, radiotherapy, respiratory therapy, nuclear medicine, neurophysiology, and EKG technology.

The framework also covers physiotherapy and rehabilitation, orthotics and prosthetics, occupational therapy, speech therapy, public health technology, nutrition and dietetics, podiatric medicine, psychology and counseling, sports therapy, biomedical engineering technology, emergency and intensive care support, ophthalmic technology, dispenser services, and primary healthcare technology.

Individual licensing, not facility registration

Authorities clarified that the licensing requirement applies to individual professionals rather than healthcare institutions. Hospitals and clinics will continue to be regulated by their respective provincial healthcare commissions, while AHPC will function as the professional regulator for allied health workers, similar in structure to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

The objective, officials say, is to introduce professional accountability, standardize training recognition, and provide legal status to technical healthcare roles that have historically lacked unified oversight.

Initial enforcement already underway

Sindh Healthcare Commission has already begun licensing select allied health categories, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, psychologists, and speech therapists. This phased implementation is expected to expand to all recognized disciplines nationwide.

The council has also cautioned that postgraduate fellows or professionals working in unregistered disciplines may face limitations under regulatory policy. Hospitals and laboratories have been instructed to verify staff credentials promptly to prevent workforce shortages once enforcement begins.

Health policy analysts believe the measure will help curb unqualified practice, improve patient safety, and strengthen professional identity for allied health workers. The initiative is also expected to support workforce planning and create clearer career pathways for thousands of technicians and therapists working across Pakistan’s public and private healthcare sectors.

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