NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday asked state authorities to enroll cases and populate the strict Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 against people who indulge in attack on physicians and health care professionals.
Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla’s correspondence to countries and Union Territories came after several incidents of assault on physicians and health care professionals in various areas of the nation underneath the Covid-19 pandemic.
“You may agree that any event of threat or attack on physicians or caregivers can dampen their dependence and make a feeling of insecurity .
This will adversely impact the medical reaction procedure,” Bhalla wrote.
The home secretary explained in the current conditions, it is now imperative that stringent action be taken against individuals who attack caregivers.
“Institutional FIRs needs to be filed from assaulters and these instances must be fast-tracked.
You might also want to emphasise terms of this Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020, where important,” he explained.
In accordance with the legislation, anybody involved with the attack on physicians and health care professionals are apt to be penalized with imprisonment up to five decades, along with a fine up to Rs 2 lakh.
This offence could be compounded with the sufferer with the consent of this courtroom.
Further, whenever an act of violence from a health care service staff causes irreparable injury, the individual committing the offence would be punishable with imprisonment up to seven decades plus a fine up to Rs 5 lakh.
All these offences are cognisable and non-bailable.
“I would also want to emphasise a close watch be kept on some other objectionable articles in social websites which might exacerbate such conditions.
Concerted efforts need to be created throughout posters in hospitals, social networking, etc.
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emphasise that the valuable contribution being made by physicians and other health care staff in the battle against Covid-19,” Bhalla said.