Haryana Government has appointed nodal officers at the state and district-level to ensure the safety of medical professionals and frontline workers in view of COVID-19 to prevent any incidents of violence against them. The nodal officers at State and District level will always be available to redress the safety issue regarding the functioning of medical professionals.
Giving details on it, an official spokesman said that in compliance with the Home Secretary, Government of India‘s demi official letter, the Haryana Government has already appointed DIG (Law & order) as the State Nodal Officer (SNO) and all Police Commissioners /Senior Superintendent’s /Superintendents of Police as District Nodal Officers.
He informed that the District Nodal Officers shall regularly submit reports to the State Nodal Officer. The State Nodal Officer shall submit Action Taken Reports (ATRs) in consultation with Director General of Police to the Home Department accordingly. He said that the details of the preventive measures taken and the appointment of the Nodal Officers should be widely publicized amongst the medical fraternity, including the local/district chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMAs) as well as to the public at large so as to create a sense of security and confidence amongst the health fraternity. Also, the members of the IMA be kept apprised of the actions taken regularly.
The spokesman said that the Ministry of law and Justice, Government of India has also passed Ordinance No. 5 of 2020, which is called Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance 2020. This ordinance prohibits violence against health care service personnel during an epidemic, which cause or may cause harassment, harm, injury, obstruction or hindrance or loss or damage to any property or documents in relation to health care service personnel discharging their duties.
According to the spokesman, directions have been given to all the State Governments/District Administrations and law enforcement agencies to take all necessary measures to ensure adequate protection to healthcare professionals and frontline workers, and to prevent any incident of violence against them. The instructions also stated that strict action should be taken against those who obstruct the performance of last rites of the medical professionals or health care personnel posted in the frontline who died of COVID-19 infection while discharging their services.
He said that the Supreme Court, in its order pronounced on April 08, 2020, stated that the Government of India, the respective States and Union Territories and the respective Police authorities should provide necessary police protection to the Doctors and medical staff in Hospitals and places where patients who have been diagnosed with COVID -19 or patients suspected of COVID-19, or those quarantined. Apart from this, the court has also directed to provide necessary police protection to Doctors and other medical staff who visit places to conduct screening of people to find out symptoms of the disease.
Haryana Government has appointed nodal officers
He said that the Union Home Ministry, on the directions of the Supreme Court has asked all State/UT or District authorities to take strict penal action Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 or any other law in force, against the offenders, who obstruct Government health officials, or other health professionals and/or related persons, who are authorized under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in the discharge of their lawful services.
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