Rajya Sabha passed the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2020 for the protection of health workers during epidemic
Rajya Sabha passed the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2020 for the protection of health workers during epidemic
On Saturday, the Epidemic (Amendment) Bill 2020 on the system of making misbehaviour with doctors, nurses and other health workers a compensation for making non-bailable offenses and for the loss of infrastructure of health services was passed by voice in the Rajya Sabha.
This bill will replace the ordinance issued in this regard. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, while replying to an hour-long debate on the Bill in the House, said that the government is preparing a National Health Policy under the Self-Reliant India Campaign and consultations with the states should be done in this regard. So far, suggestions from 14 states have been received.
As soon as the policy is formulated, it will be brought before the House. The bill has adequate provisions to protect the medical community and has made the beating and misbehaviour non-bailable. Arrangements have been made to charge double the market price for those who damage the equipment and infrastructure of health services. There are provisions in the Indian Penal Code and Criminal Penal Code to protect the physician community. Apart from this, the government is also committed to the economic social security of the physician community.
Congress’s Anand Sharma said that the physician community of the country has done a better job in the time of Corona epidemic. The government should strengthen the health services infrastructure. For this, national health policy should be changed in an enormous way. Bharatiya Janata Party’s Saroj Pandey said that there should be no politics on the issue of health. The provision of making non-bailable offenses for misconduct with Corona warriors is welcome.
Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress said that the central government should learn from the experience of the West Bengal government in dealing with the epidemic. The Bill is a violation of the rights of the State Governments and constitutionally wrong.
A.Vijay Kumar said that health workers should be given adequate compensation in case of any damage. Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party said that this amendment is necessary. Such an outrageous purchase has been made at the government level, which has damaged the treasury. There should be a punitive system for such people. Stringent provisions should be made for those who loot people by selling misleading drugs.
By Priya Kumari
