NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of coronavirus outbreak and daily rising cases world-wide, AAP MP Sanjay Singh intends to introduce a Public Health (Prevention, control and management of epidemics) Bill, 2020 in the current Budget session of Rajya Sabha.
The Bill is highly essential given the increasing cases of the coronavirus, which are similar to the epidemic as mentioned in point 27 of the list of epidemic diseases, in the country and worldwide.
The objective of the bill is to ensure preparedness for the 37 epidemic diseases mentioned in the bill and to provide prevention, control and management of epidemics and public health consequences and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
"With the current coronavirus outbreak of which remains a threat for most of our country's population (a variant of SARS) and the absence of vaccinations to cure the virus, we need better preparedness for the epidemic," Singh said.
The bill mentions the steps that can be taken up by the state and central government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 such as isolating the infected persons, quarantine or restrict the movement of these individuals, conducting a medical examination, among others.
As the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, there is a need for such a bill, the AAP MP said.