GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th Feb. The 22nd Law Commission of India has submitted its Report No. 286 titled “A Comprehensive Review of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897″ to the Government of India.
Amidst the unprecedented challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the limitations of the current legal framework surrounding health became apparent. While the government responded swiftly, including invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005 for measures like lockdowns, amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 were made in 2020, especially to address challenges faced by healthcare workers.
Recognizing the potential for future epidemics and the fundamental right to health enshrined in the Constitution, the Law Commission emphasizes the need to revisit and strengthen laws to effectively tackle such emergencies.
The Commission found that the existing legislation does not adequately address concerns related to the containment and management of future epidemics, especially considering the possibility of new infectious diseases or novel strains emerging.
Therefore, after extensive examination, the Law Commission recommends either amending the existing law to address gaps or enacting a new, comprehensive legislation on the subject.
