India clears Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to protect healthcare workers. All you need to know

New Delhi, 19-Sep-2020

India on Saturday passed a legislation aimed at protecting healthcare workers fighting the Covid-19 disease outbreak in the country by criminalizing attacks on medical workers, resulting into imprisonment for up to five years.

Here is all you need to know about the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020:
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- The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced by Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in the Upper House on Saturday to replace an ordinance issued by the government in April.
- The previous ordinance amended the act dating to 1897 which protected healthcare service personnel and property, including their living and working premises against violence during epidemics.
- With reports of attacks on doctors and medical staff during the Covid-19 disease outbreak, the government introduced the bill to send across the message of zero-tolerance to any form of violence against frontline workers engaged in health sector and damage to their property.
- Any healthcare worker who has suffered damage to their property such as clinical establishment, any facility for quarantine and isolations of patients, mobile medical units or any other property related to healthcare service personnel who have direct interest due to the epidemic can invoke the provisions of this act.
- The act is applicable to healthcare service personnel from public and clinical healthcare service providers such as doctors, nurses, paramedical workers and community health workers; any other persons empowered under the act to take measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease or spread.
- Once a crime is legally registered, the offence will be investigated by an officer of the rank of inspector within a period of 30 days and the trial has to be completed within a year, unless extended by the court.
-Anyone found guilty of such acts of violence against healthcare personnel will be punishable with an imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,00,000.