Lok Sabha passes two Health Ministry Bills in midnight proceedings

The Lok Sabha in a midnight proceeding on Tuesday passed Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

These Bills were moved for passage after the House passed the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 that seeks to bring a law that punishes those who attack health workers or doctors who are fighting the coronavirus outbreak or during any situation similar to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan moved these Bills for passage in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Lok Sabha which on Monday started at 3 p.m. and ended at 12.24 a.m. on Tuesday -- the second consecutive day in a row of this session in a hurry to pass maximum important Bills brought by the Central government.

The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha on September 18, seeks amendment to the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. It will replace the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 promulgated by the President on April 24 this year.

Harsh Vardhan later moved the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 for its passage. The Bill seeks to amend the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970, as passed by Rajya Sabha.

It will replace the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 which was promulgated by the President on April 24 this year.

Both the Bills were passed around 12.20 a.m. on Tuesday after a short debate among a few Members of Parliament (MPs) followed by Harsh Vardhan's concluding remark.

--IANS

rak/pgh