The NHPC Act Lr.31

The text of the Act is the authoritative source. Where this page differs from the Act, the Act prevails. If anything turns on your particular situation, read the Act itself or take legal advice.

Note: the Act is published in English only. The Somali on this website is a working translation, not an official legal text. No official Somali translation of the Act has been published.

What the Act establishes

• An independent Council with legal status, established to protect the public from harm arising from medical malpractice.
• A register of health professionals, and the rule that practising unregistered is an offence.
• Ethics and a code of conduct governing how health professionals practise.
• Licensing and inspection of health facilities and health services.
• Recognition of health training institutions, and approval of the curricula and programmes that produce health cadres.
• A disciplinary regime: investigation of alleged misconduct, sanctions, and offences.

How the Act is organised

A rough guide, not a complete list of Articles. Follow a row to the page that explains it.

• Articles 1–3 — The Council: its establishment as an independent body, its objectives, and how it is constituted.

• Article 10 — The Council’s mandates and functions — what it exists to do.

• Articles 13–17 — The Secretariat that runs the Council day to day, and the three special committees.

• Article 23

The categories of fee the Council is authorised to charge. Fees outside these categories are not lawful.

• Articles 24–39 — Registration of health professionals: who must register, the requirements, internship, re-registration, foreign-qualified practitioners, and the offence of practising unregistered.

• Articles 42–46 — The licence to practise: its validity, renewal, cancellation, and what happens when it lapses.

• Articles 40 and 62–64 — Professional conduct and offences, advertising, and protection of professional and specialist titles.

• Articles 41 and 47–52 — Health facilities: registration, licensing, inspection, closure, and the consequences of operating unlicensed.

• Articles 53–56 — Health training institutions and the approval, evaluation and review of their programmes.

• Article 69

Appeals against a decision of the Council.

The authoritative text

• National Health Professionals Council Act, Lr.31 — The full legal framework establishing the NHPC and regulating health professionals, facilities, and training institutions. 73 Articles. — NHPC / ACT / Lr.31·339 KB·EN·Updated2026-07-16

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