On the 19th of September, the Rajya Sabha passed the Epidemic Diseases Amendment Bill, 2020.
was tabled in the upper house of the Parliament by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Health Minister, tabled the Epidemic Diseases Amendment Bill, 2020 in the Upper House of the Parliament.
During the ongoing Rajya Sabha session of the Monsoon Parliament Session, Mr. Vardhan spoke about the changes in the Epidemic Act 1897.
Mr. Harsh Vardhan said, the bill required to prevent offences against healthcare professionals.
Mr. Vardhan said, “Many healthcare workers including doctors, paramedics were insulted in some form or the other, due to (the) stigma attached to COVID-19. (The) Centre Government acted on this situation, found that there was a need for a law, a prohibitory mechanism against such incidents.”
The changes in the Act came after the Central Government passed an ordinance regarding the protection of health care workers.
According to the passed ordinance, any kind of violence or attack on health care workers would be a punishable offence. The new bill would be replacement of the ordinance passed in April to protect healthcare workers.
In addition, under the new changes of the Epidemic Bill, once a crime is legally registered, the offence will be investigated by an officer of the rank of inspector within a period of 30 days and the trial has to be completed within a year, unless extended by the court.
Anyone found guilty of such acts of violence against healthcare personnel will be punishable with an imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with a fine of Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2,00,000.
However, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien termed the Bill an attempt to encroach states’ constitutionally assigned functioning and opposed.
Speaking at the Rajya Sabha while the discussions on the bill were underway, the TMC MP said “You thought of healthcare workers now? Bengal has Medicare Service Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property Act 2009. What happens to it? Bill is an attempt to encroach states’ constitutionally assigned functioning.”
Mr. Brien said the TMC Government passed a similar bill for healthcare workers’ safety in West Bengal. The bill was introduced back in 2009, years before the pandemic broke out.
Mr. Derek O’Brien said, “You cannot cross the Constitutional bar, you do your work, and let the Chief Ministers do their work. There are sinister provisions also present in this bill.”
However, the proposed amendments in the Epidemic Act would not be implemented until approved by the President of India.
Meanwhile, the Monsoon Session of the Parliament commenced from the 14th of September and is scheduled till the 1st of October.
Stay tuned for further updates.
