SOURCE – PRS INDIA
GS PAPER – 2 AND 3
CONTEXT – The Upper House on Saturday passed the Epidemic Diseases Amendment Bill, 2020 to bring a law that punishes those who attack health workers or doctors who are fighting the corona virus outbreak or during any situation similar to the current Covid-19 pandemic. The legislation provides for up to five years in jail for those who attack doctors and health care personnel.
HIGHLIGHTS –
- The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on September 14, 2020.
- It amends the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
- The Bill defines healthcare service personnel as persons who are at risk of contracting the epidemic disease while carrying out duties related to the epidemic
- . They include: (i) public and clinical healthcare providers such as doctors and nurses, (ii) any person empowered under the Act to take measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease, and (iii) other persons designated as such by the state government.
- If any damage is done to clinical establishments, quarantine and isolation facilities of patients, mobile medical units or any other property associated with healthcare personnel during a pandemic, penal provisions can be provoked.
- Penalty ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2, 00, 000 can be slapped on any individual who is involved in commission or abetment of such acts of violence. It can also be punishable in the form of an imprisonment for a term of three months to five years.
- Under the Bill, an ‘act of violence’ includes any of the following acts committed against a healthcare service personnel:
- Harassment impacting living or working conditions,
- Harm, injury, hurt, or danger to life,
- Obstruction in discharge of duties, and
- Loss or damage to the property or documents of the healthcare service personnel. Property includes: (i) clinical establishment, (ii) quarantine facility, (iii) mobile medical unit, and (iv) any other property in which a healthcare service personnel has direct interest, in relation to the epidemic.