Why in news?
The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 is promulgated to protect the healthcare workers.
What is the Ordinance?
- This 2020 ordinance will amend the Epidemic Act, 1897.
- It will criminalise attacks on healthcare personnel, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and ASHA workers.
- It will make them a non-bailable offence.
- Ordinarily, the guilty can be sent to jail for 3 months to 5 years, with a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.
- If there is grievous injury, the guilty could be sent to jail for 6 months to 7 years and fined Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Why this ordinance was promulgated?
- There are several incidences of frontline workers being attacked or facing harassment across the country.
- [Frontline workers - Healthcare workers, civic workers, emergency responders, police personnel]
- India’s shortage in healthcare manpower already places a heavy burden on the existing workforce.
- The pandemic has compounded this burden many times over.
- If India ends up seeing the infection spread and hospitalisation numbers projected for it, it will need every healthcare hand available.
- So, protecting these healthcare workers is a need of the time.
Is this Ordinance enough?
- The ordinance’s provision for harsher punishment and its strict enforcement should serve as a deterrent.
- However, the government must look at a more permanent way to protect healthcare workers.
- It framed the Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments Bill 2019 to deter attacks on, and harassment of hospital staff.
- However, this is yet to be enacted.
What could be done?
- Sensitizing the masses to support frontline workers is needed.
- If not, India’s battle against the disease will truly be lost.
- The government must run awareness campaigns to address citizens’ fears about exposure to the pathogen via healthcare workers.
- It must pass the 2019 Bill to protect healthcare workers in a more permanent way.
Source: Financial Express, Livemint
