The Epidemic Act has been amended by the Centre to ensure that any attack on doctors or health workers will be punishable.
New Delhi| Cases of assault on health workers will be non-bailable under an ordinance for protection of doctors issued by the Central government, Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said Wednesday.
Union Minister at a briefing said: āChanges in the Epidemic Diseases Act through ordinance have been approved by the cabinet. Offences will be made non-bailable and cognizable.ā
āInvestigations will be completed in 30 days. There will be stringent punishment including fines up to Rs 2 lakh. If serious cases, the punishment will be imprisonment up to seven years and fine up to Rs five lakh,ā he added.
A violator may be awarded a jail term of three months to five years with a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh. In cases of severe injury to workers, the jail term will be increased to six months to seven years with a fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
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“In addition to the amendment of a 100-year-old Epidemic Act, there should be sensitisation of public and improvement in health care infrastructure. Laws cannot make up for poor public health care spending and lack of facilities,” said Dr Srinivas Rajkumar T, General Secretary at RDA AIIMS, New Delhi.
“We have zero tolerance and will not allow this in a civilised society,” Union minister Prakash Javadekar added.
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