Medical councils in countries of the region

Abstract

The need to strengthen medical councils of the Region with a view to improve the standards of medical education and regulation of practising health-care providers has been highlighted in many forums. In order to strategize how to move forward, a Regional Consultaiton was held from 17-19 October 2006 in Thimphu, Bhutan on Medical Councils in Countries of the World Health Organization's (‎WHO)‎ South-East Asia (‎SEA)‎ Region. The general objective of the consultation was to promote collaboration among medical councils in improving medical education and practices in the Region. Many technical issues were discussed during this meeting by participants representating medical councils of nine countries. The discussions led to a range of recommendations for future action. One of the important outcomes of the consultation was an acknowledgement of the need to eestablish a Regional Network of Medical Councils to; facilitate exchange of information and resources; agree upon solutions on common issues facing medical councils and strengthen the capacity of such councils in each country. This report, highlights the proceedings of the consultation and the recommendations made by it, which will shape the strategic directions for further action.