The Center on Saturday requested state governments to register instances and invoke the stringent Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 towards those that assault docs and well being professionals.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla’s letter to states and union territories comes after a number of incidents of assaults on docs and well being professionals in numerous components of the nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You would agree that any incident of threat or attack on doctors or health professionals can lower their morale and create a sense of insecurity among them. This may adversely impact the healthcare response system,” Bhalla wrote.
The Home Secretary stated that within the current circumstances it has develop into crucial that strict motion is taken towards those that assault well being staff.
“Institutional FIRs should be registered against the attackers and such cases should be fast-tracked. You may prefer to invoke the provisions of the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020, where applicable,” he stated.
According to this legislation, any individual concerned in an assault on docs and well being professionals might be punished with imprisonment of as much as 5 years and a tremendous of as much as two lakh rupees.
This offense might be compounded by the sufferer with the permission of the court docket.
Further, if an act of violence towards a healthcare service employee causes grievous hurt, the individual committing the offense shall be punished with imprisonment of as much as seven years and a tremendous of as much as 5 lakh rupees.
These offenses might be cognizable and non-bailable.
“I would also like to reiterate that a close watch should be kept on any objectionable content in social media which may aggravate such situations. Concerted efforts should be made through posters in hospitals, social media etc. to emphasize the valuable contribution being made by doctors and other health workers in the fight against COVID-19,” Bhalla stated.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
