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Cabinet ordinance throws safety net around doctors, health workers under attack
The decision comes after a spate of incidents where doctors and medical professionals were attacked in different localities across states and their vehicles damaged as they battled the Covid -19 disease.
The Centre on Wednesday approved an ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act making attacks on doctors and health workers a cognizable and non-bailable offence and introducing stringent provisions ranging from imprisonment up to seven years to hefty fines.
The decision comes after a spate of incidents where doctors and medical professionals were attacked in different localities across states and their vehicles damaged as they battled the Covid -19 disease.
Addressing reporters in Delhi, Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar said the decision was taken in the meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as such offences have no place in a civilized society.
“The Cabinet has approved the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 making such acts of violence as cognizable and non-bailable offences and to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property,” said Javadekar.
He added that from doctors to ASHA workers all healthcare workers will be provided protection.
It has also been decided that investigation will be completed in 30 days.
There are provisions of stringent punishment including fines upto Rs 2 lakh. If injury is serious, upto seven years imprisonment and fine upto Rs five lakh, the minister said.
The message is clear no attacks on health staff and doctors will be tolerated, he said.
If their cars or clinics are damaged, double the cost will be recovered, he said adding that doctors can now work without tension and there should be no attacks on them.
The minister also pointed out that the government had also worked towards providing insurance cover of upto Rs 50 lakh for health workers.
On Wednesday morning, Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had a video conference with health professionals. They told them that the government supports them and would work to protect them, said Javadekar.
The Union Cabinet also approved a Rs 15,000 crore for ‘’India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package” which is to be utilized in 3 Phases.
For immediate Covid-19 Emergency Response an amount of Rs. 7,774 crore has been provisioned, rest for medium-term support (1-4 years), the government said.
The Cabinet also approved fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy rates for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers for the year 2020-21. Expected expenditure for release of subsidy on P&K Fertilizers during 2020-21 will be Rs. 22,186.55 crore, the press information bureau said.
The Cabinet also approved extension of relaxation of mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding of data in respect of beneficiaries of the states of Assam and Meghalaya and UTs of J&K and Ladakh for one year from April 1, 2020 under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme, it added.
