New Delhi, 19 June: The Union Home Ministry ( MHA) has taken a strict stand regarding incidents of assault with doctors and healthcare workers during the corona pandemic.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday directed chief secretaries and administrators of states and union territories (UTs) to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of doctors and health workers and register an First Information Report (FIR) against the attackers.
The Union Home Secretary, in a letter to the states and UTs, has directed that FIRs should be registered against those who attack health workers, taking strict steps and investigation of such cases should be done expeditiously. States can also use the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment)-2020 Act as required.
Bhalla has further said in the letter that any objectionable content in social media should be kept a close watch which may aggravate such situations. Concerted efforts should be made through posters in hospitals, social media etc. to publicize the valuable contribution being made by doctors and other health workers in the fight against COVID-19.
The Union Home Secretary asked the Chief Secretaries and Administrators to take the cases of attacks on doctors and health workers seriously and take action so that they have a sense of security. In this regard, on June 09 and April 27 also, the Ministry of Home Affairs had written letters to the states and issued instructions to the states and union territories regarding the safety of health workers.
