Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020

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