R. ARIVANANTHAM
NEW DELHI, APRIL 22
Mounting attacks on the healthcare personnel and people’s opposition to the decent burial of a doctor who had succumbed to coronavirus in Chennai last Sunday invited the wrath of people from all walks of life and also from the medical fraternity.
The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 manifests our commitment to protect each and every healthcare worker who is bravely battling COVID-19 on the frontline.
It will ensure safety of our professionals. There can be no compromise on their safety!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 22, 2020
With a view to safeguard the interest of the Frontline Warriors, the union cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance making acts of violence against them as congnizable and non-bailable offences.
Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, the Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the proposed ordinance also provides for compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to property.
“Investigations will be completed in 30 days. There will be stringent punishment including fines up to Rs 2 lakh. If serious cases, the punishment will be imprisonment up to seven years and fine up to Rs five lakh,” he said.
The proposed ordinance will amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
It will help protect healthcare service personnel and their living and working premises against violence.
Asked whether the new changes in the law will be applicable even after the threat of COVID-19 is over, Javadekar told reporters that the ordinance has been approved to amend the Epidemic Act. “But it is a good beginning,” he said, without elaborating further.
In a letter to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also flagged a few heinous instances of unruly behaviour by people where the families and relatives of medical professionals, suspected to have died due to COVID-19 infection, were prevented from performing the last rites of the deceased.
“In such cases, adequate security should be provided; and, stringent action should be taken against such offenders who obstruct the performance of last rites of medical professionals or frontline healthcare workers, who, unfortunately, succumb to the infection from COVID-19 while discharging their services, or otherwise,” the letter said.
IMA welcomes cabinet decision
IMA expresses its heartfelt thanks to HM Shri @AmitShah ji & Shri @drharshvardhan ji for their prompt action in bringing an ordinance to end violence against doctors & health workers. It will surely boost our morale to serve the nation in this crisis. pic.twitter.com/4dt6AdIUjY
— Indian Medical Association (@IMAIndiaOrg) April 22, 2020
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) expressed its heartfelt thanks to HM Shri @AmitShah ji & Shri @drharshvardhan ji for their prompt action in bringing an ordinance to end violence against doctors & health workers. It will surely boost our morale to serve the nation in this crisis in its twitter message on Wednesday.
Happy to share that #Cabinet clears ordinance on protecting health workers.
United is our view that any kind of attack on our healthcare warriors battling #Covid_19india will not tolerated 🙏🇮🇳@PrakashJavdekar@HospitalsApollo @MoHFW_INDIA @ficci_india @PMOIndia https://t.co/5uLLawyIqL— Dr. Sangita Reddy (@drsangitareddy) April 22, 2020
Dr. Sangitha Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospital said in her twitter message said that “United is our view that any kind of attack on our healthcare warriors battling’’. She also tagged the Union Minister Prakash Javdekar’s briefing on cabinet decision.