Officials of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and other government departments have started the process of finalizing various provisions of the draft bill for a new national public health law. Once the draft is ready, it will be placed in the public domain for consultation before being sent to the Union Cabinet, the Indian Express reported. With the third Covid wave in the country, the National Public Health Bill is expected to be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament.
The proposed National Public Health Act has been in operation since 2017 and once passed it will replace the 125-year-old Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. It will also cover public health and emergencies due to bioterrorism, natural calamities, chemical and nuclear attacks. The new draft defines a number of situations in which a public health emergency can be declared.
The National Public Health Authority is proposed to be headed by the Union Health Ministry, which will be headed by the Health Ministers of the states. The district collector will lead the next level, and the block units will be headed by a block medical officer or medical superintendent. These officers will be empowered to take measures for prevention of emerging infectious diseases.
The draft defines various measures such as isolation, quarantine and lockdown, which have been implemented extensively by the Center and states for COVID management. The definition of lockdown includes a restriction on the movement or assembly of persons at any place in the public or private sector. It also includes restricting the functioning of factories, plants, mining, construction, offices, educational institutions or market places.