Context: Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved promulgation of an Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to protect healthcare service personnel and property including their living/working premises against violence during epidemics.
Background

• Members of healthcare services are targeted and attacked by miscreants, thereby obstructing them from doing their duties.
• They have become the most vulnerable victims as they have been perceived by some as carriers of the virus.
• This has led to cases of their stigmatization and ostracization and sometimes worse, acts of unwarranted violence and harassment.
• The recent ordinance is intended to ensure that during any situation akin to the current pandemic, there is zero tolerance to any form of violence against healthcare service personnel and damage to property.

Key Points

• The ordinance makes the acts of violence against the healthcare workers as cognizable and non-bailable offences.
• The ordinance also contains a provision of providing compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property.
• The investigation into the cases of attack on healthcare workers will be completed within 30 days and judgment will be pronounced within one year.
• The accused of the attack can attract a punishment ranging from 3 months to 5 years and a fine from 50 thousand rupees to 2 lakh rupees.
• Offences shall be investigated by an officer of the rank of Inspector.

About Epidemic Diseases Act,1897

• The Epidemic Diseases Act initially was passed in February 1897 in the wake of the outbreak of the bubonic plague in India (particularly in the Bombay presidency).
• It empowers state governments/UTs to take special measures and formulate regulations for containing the outbreak.
• It also empowers state to prescribe such temporary regulations to be observed by the public or by any person or class of persons as it shall deem necessary to prevent the outbreak of such disease or the spread thereof.
• The state may determine in what manner and by whom any expenses incurred (including compensation if any) shall be defrayed.
• It also provides penalties for disobeying any regulation or order made under the Act. These are according to section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).
• It also gives legal protection to the implementing officers acting under the Act.