Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that there can be no compromise on the safety of healthcare professionals fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and said the ordinance approved by the Union cabinet shows the government’s commitment in this regard.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance which proposed stringent punishment for those harassing or attacking healthcare personnel involved in discharging their duties in containing the pandemic.
He said the ordinance will ensure safety of our professionals.
“There can be no compromise on their safety!,” Modi tweeted and added that the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 manifested the government’s commitment to protect each and every healthcare worker who is bravely battling COVID-19 on the frontline.
With attacks increasing on healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic, the government has brought in an ordinance to protect doctors.
Attacks on health care workers have been made a non-bailable offence and will carry imprisonment from six months to seven years, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced.
Safety and dignity of our doctors at their workplace is non-negotiable, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said as he urged the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to withdraw a symbolic protest by doctors against attacks on health workers who are in the frontline of the country’s coronavirus battle. The doctors’ body withdrew its protest after their meeting with the Home Minister and the Health Minister today.
Coronavirus cases in India jumped close to 20,000 with the biggest increase in the number of deaths in a day linked to the highly infectious virus. 50 patients died in the last 24 hours. A total of 19,984 cases have been reported in the country so far. An improvement has been recorded since yesterday in the recovery rate which indicates the number of people who have successfully fought off the illness, the government data shows.
