Cabinet okays ordinance to protect frontline workers

NEW DELHI: The Centre is set to promulgate an ordinance that will make violence and harassment against healthcare workers deployed in combating Covid-19 a non-bailable offence.
The offence will attract a maximum punishment of seven years’ imprisonment and Rs 5 lakh fine. The move follows reports of attack on doctors and other health workers in different parts of the country and a demand from the community for a law to protect them.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ordinance. Asserting that the government has “zero tolerance” for violence and harassment against doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare personnel, Cabinet spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said a person can be sentenced to anywhere between three months and five years in jail, besides a fine between Rs 50,000 and two lakh, for such crimes under the new provision. In cases where injuries are serious, the punishment will range from six months to seven years, and carry fine between Rs 1-5 lakh, the minister told reporters. The ordinance will amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the amended law will also be invoked if healthcare personnel face harassment from their landlords or neighbours over suspicion that they may carry the coronavirus infection due to the nature of their work, he said.

The home ministry on Wednesday also directed states to appoint nodal officers to redress any safety issue on the functioning of medical professionals and take action under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Home minister Amit Shah allayed concerns among the medical fraternity and assured them that the government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring their wellbeing and security. Hours later, the Union Cabinet cleared the ordinance.

The MHA, in its communication to states on Wednesday, came down on the “unruly behaviour” reported when the family and relatives of medical professionals, suspected to have died due to Covid-19 infection were prevented from performing the last rites of the deceased.

The nodal officers at state, UTs and district level would be available 24x7 to redress any safety issue on the functioning of medical professionals. They should take strict action in case of any incident of violence. The preventive measures and appointment of nodal officers should be widely publicised among the medical fraternity, including the local chapters of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), to ensure that there are no incidents, MHA said.