Lok Sabha Question No. 3344 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-17
Subject: Epidemic Diseases Act
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3344 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th  DECEMBER, 2021

## EPIDEMIC DISEASES ACT

## 3344:   SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government has created an eco-system to deal with any epidemic outbreak;
- (b)    if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  mechanism/processes  and  infrastructure  put  in place by the Government in this regard;
- (c)   if not, the steps taken by the Government to deal with such outbreak;
- (d)   whether the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 in its present form is sufficient for dealing with an epidemic; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the Government to update the same along with the timeline for updation?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (e): Government of India continues to keep a close watch over disease outbreaks and public health emergencies in the country and globally. As a signatory to World Health Organization's  International  Health  Regulations,  2005,  Government  of  India  continues  to work towards strengthening of core capacities to detect and respond rapidly to communicable disease threats and emergencies.

For preparedness and response against health emergencies, the National Disaster Management Authority in 2008 has issued detailed guidance on management of biological disasters (available at https://ndma.gov.in/sites/default/files/PDF/Guidelines/biological\_disasters.pdf). Further, National  Disaster  Management  Authority  has  also  issued  and  widely  circulated  National Disaster Management Plan 2019 which provides an all-hazard plan with clarification on roles and responsibilities for preparedness and response activities against biological emergencies.

The Ministry of Health & FW has also finalized and circulated Model Crisis Management Plans for biological disasters in 2017 and again in 2019 to serve as template for preparation of their own respective crisis management plans. Besides this Ministry of Health & FW has also  issued  detailed  guidelines  related  with  containment  and  clinical  management  for managing COVID-19.

PM Ayushman  Bharat  Health  Infrastructure  Mission  (PM-ABHIM)  with  an  outlay  of  Rs. 64,180 crores over 6 years envisages increased investments in public health and other health reforms  to  safeguard  against  future  resurgences  of  COVID-19,  if  any,  and  future  public health emergencies by:

-  Strengthening of Health and Wellness Centers in villages and cities for early detection of diseases
-  Addition of new critical care-related beds at district level hospitals.
-  Operationalization of Regional National Centers for Disease Control (NCDC).
-  Establishment of metropolitan units in urban areas and BSL-III labs across the country to strengthen the laboratory network.
-  Strengthening of existing Viral Diagnostic and Research Labs (VRDLs) and creation of new  National  institutes  of  Virology  (NIVs)  and  a  National  Institute  for  One  Health through ICMR.
-  Strengthening of Public Health Units at international Points of Entry (PoEs)

The Epidemic Act, 1897 has been reviewed and amended in the context of COVID-19. The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 was notified on 29 th September 2020.

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