<p>The Centre on Wednesday decided to promulgate an ordinance making attacks against healthcare professionals a non-bailable offence with a jail term of up to seven years, and stringent provisions to make the attacker pay damages tp property.</p>.<p>The decision came at a time when doctors and healthcare workers engaged in the fight against COVID-19 were facing discrimination and even assaults are some parts of the country and had threatened to observe a ‘Black Day’ on Thursday.</p>.<p>The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to amend the 123-year-old Epidemic Diseases Act to insert provisions to take action against those attacking doctors and health care workers.</p>.<p>“Such crime will now be cognizable & non-bailable. An investigation will be done within 30 days. Accused can be sentenced from three months-five years and penalised from Rs 50,000 up to Rs two lakh,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.</p>.<p>He said in case of grievous injuries, the accused can be sentenced from six months to seven years in jail and a penalty ranging from Rs one lakh to Rs five lakh.</p>.<p>“If the damage is done to the vehicles or clinics of healthcare workers, then a compensation amounting to twice the market value of the damaged property will be taken from the accused,” Javadekar said.</p>.<p>Asked whether the legal protection to doctors would extend beyond the COVID-19 outbreak, Javadekar merely said that the Ordinance was approved to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987. “But it is a good beginning,” he said</p>.<p>“Our message is very clear. Attacks on doctors and healthcare workers will not be tolerated,” he said.</p>.<p>The decision to promulgate the ordinance came hours after a delegation of the Indian Medical Association met Home Minister Amit Shah over the attacks on doctors and healthcare workers involved in the fight against COVID-19.</p>.<p>They also flagged the instance of a Chennai doctor, who succumbed to COVID-19, was denied burial by two cemeteries and an ambulance carrying his mortal remains was attacked.</p>.<p>On Wednesday, Shah also asked state governments to take strict action against those who obstruct the performance of last rites of medical professionals or frontline healthcare workers succumbing to COVID-19, while discharging their services.</p>
<p>The Centre on Wednesday decided to promulgate an ordinance making attacks against healthcare professionals a non-bailable offence with a jail term of up to seven years, and stringent provisions to make the attacker pay damages tp property.</p>.<p>The decision came at a time when doctors and healthcare workers engaged in the fight against COVID-19 were facing discrimination and even assaults are some parts of the country and had threatened to observe a ‘Black Day’ on Thursday.</p>.<p>The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to amend the 123-year-old Epidemic Diseases Act to insert provisions to take action against those attacking doctors and health care workers.</p>.<p>“Such crime will now be cognizable & non-bailable. An investigation will be done within 30 days. Accused can be sentenced from three months-five years and penalised from Rs 50,000 up to Rs two lakh,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.</p>.<p>He said in case of grievous injuries, the accused can be sentenced from six months to seven years in jail and a penalty ranging from Rs one lakh to Rs five lakh.</p>.<p>“If the damage is done to the vehicles or clinics of healthcare workers, then a compensation amounting to twice the market value of the damaged property will be taken from the accused,” Javadekar said.</p>.<p>Asked whether the legal protection to doctors would extend beyond the COVID-19 outbreak, Javadekar merely said that the Ordinance was approved to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987. “But it is a good beginning,” he said</p>.<p>“Our message is very clear. Attacks on doctors and healthcare workers will not be tolerated,” he said.</p>.<p>The decision to promulgate the ordinance came hours after a delegation of the Indian Medical Association met Home Minister Amit Shah over the attacks on doctors and healthcare workers involved in the fight against COVID-19.</p>.<p>They also flagged the instance of a Chennai doctor, who succumbed to COVID-19, was denied burial by two cemeteries and an ambulance carrying his mortal remains was attacked.</p>.<p>On Wednesday, Shah also asked state governments to take strict action against those who obstruct the performance of last rites of medical professionals or frontline healthcare workers succumbing to COVID-19, while discharging their services.</p>
