New Delhi: In a significant move, India’s federal cabinet on Wednesday amended the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 through an ordinance in order to ensure safety of health workers at a time when there has been a spate of attacks on them.
Any violence against health workers may now bring steep fines and even imprisonments of up to seven years.
This move comes hours after Home Minister Amit Shah addressed Nina Medical Association through a video conference, assuring them of safety and urging them to withdraw the symbolic protest scheduled for later this month against incidents of violence on health workers pressed into COVID-19 duty.
From now on, not just such violence is cognisable but also non-bailable offence. Additionally, it has provisions to provide compensation for injury to health care service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property, the government said on Wednesday.
K.S. Dhatwalia, Principal Spokesperson for the government, tweeted: “Ordinance would help protect health care service personnel and their living/working premises against violence”.
Non-bailable offence
“This actually helps protect the entire health fraternity including doctors, nurses, paramedics up to ASHA workers,” said Union I & B Minister Prakash Javadekar. The Minister said the amendment was necessitated after incidents of violence were witnessed against them while discharging their crucial duty for the country.
The amendment has ensured that the investigation takes place in a time-bound manner. A special provision is also made in the ordinance in case vehicles or clinics are damaged. In such cases, two times the cost will be recovered from assailants.
Javadekar on Wednesday announced the ordinance to end violence against health workers, which carries jail term ranging from six months to seven years as punishment for those found guilty.
“Such crime will now be cognisable and non-bailable. The investigation will be done within 30 days. Accused can be sentenced from three months to five years and penalised from Rs50,000 [Dh2,402] up to Rs2 lakh [Rs200,000],” he added.
This comes after several incidents of attacks and stigmatisation of medical staff and doctors being reported from across the country following the outbreak of COVID-19.
Doctors welcome move
Several doctors have lauded the efforts by the Central Government.
“The recent attacks on medical practitioners is shameful, however, something good has come out of it. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and Home Minister Amit Shah have assured us that special security arrangements will be done for the doctors,” Dr Ravi Malik, former Secretary of Indian Medical Association (IMA), told ANI.
“I want to tell the government that we, doctors, are not scared of such attacks and we will continue our work amid this crisis,” he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Dr BB Wadhwa, Delhi Medical Association (DMA) president, said, “Though we feel disturbed due to the attacks, the doctors have not backed out from their duty. We want some laws which will put a stop on such attacks on doctors as we cannot work if we are always scared.”
He further said, “I appreciate Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for arresting 17 miscreants under the National Security Act. We want other states to do the same to prevent attacks like in Moradabad, Delhi and Indore.”
While lauding Modi’s acknowledgement of work being done by medical staff amid the coronavirus outbreak, Dr Harish Gupta, Delhi Medical Council member and former president of DMA, said, “Though the frequent attacks on doctors have a very demoralising effect on the medical fraternity, we have continued our work without taking a day off since the coronavirus outbreak. And we will continue to do so because we have always said — Jeet jayenge hum agar pura desh sangh hai [We will win if the country is with us].”
“However, we do demand legal impunity for our safety,” he added.
The IMA had earlier announced that it will observe April 23 as Black Day if the government fails to enact Central Law on violence against doctors and hospitals.