Pducherry CM welcomes ordinance to punish those attacking, healthcare personnel

Puducherry Chief Minister VNarayanasamy on Wednesday welcomed the Union Cabinet decision to bring an ordinance making acts of violence and harassment against healthcare personnel deployed in combating COVID-19 a non-bailable offence with maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment.

"The union territory administration will implement the legislation in letter and spirit as doctors and medical personnel should be protected against intimidation or attack by members of public," he told reporters here. The government on Wednesday approved the ordinance that also provides for fine of Rs five lakh for those attacking healthcare workers in the wake of spiralling cases of attacks on them across the country. Narayanasamy mourned the death of a senior doctor in Chennai and registered his strong protest against the assault unleashed by local residents when his body was taken to a cemetery for burial. Doctors contracting the infection in the course of treatment of the infected patients and ultimately succumbing to it should be buried with full State honours by the governments, he said. He said people should continue to ensure that the lockdown norms were adhered to strictly to prevent the spread of the virus.

There were only three active COVID-19 cases in Puducherry thanks to the dedicated work and cooperation from the public to keep the infection at bay, he added. He said the government was making arrangements to test the mediapersons in the Union Territory for coronavirus.