Cabinet set to approve National Health Emergency Response Bill

The federal government has decided to set up the National Health Security Council (NHSC) headed by the prime minister and including all the chief ministers, aimed at preparing a uniform policy and increasing the federal role in efforts to deal with Covid-19 pandemic.

In this regard, a federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday (today), with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, is expected to approve the National Health Emergency Response Bill, 2020. The NHSC will approve national policies on health security, which require coordination among the Centre and the provinces.

After the 18th Amendment, health has been devolved to the provinces, hence limiting the uniform policy making and implementation at the national level. This issue has been experienced during the management of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

At present, ‘The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1958’, is in force. It is limited in scope and does not cover an emergency situation such as the one arising out of the spread of Covid-9 in terms of health emergency, quarantine related matters, restricting movement and business activity as well as acquiring of premises and services that is all in private ownership.

In order to strengthen the federal government’s role in case of any national health emergency, the Supreme Court had directed for the enactment of a law. In compliance with the order the national health services ministry has drafted the ‘National Health Emergency Response Bill 2020’.

The key features of the proposed law include, health emergency response, regulating screening, testing and mobility restrictions during health emergency, preparedness and response, disease surveillance and data collection and mitigation and intervention strategies.

The National Health Emergency Response Act, 2020 will propose several tiers of emergency response to ensure response and management of a health emergency in a coordinated manner.

These include the NHSC, headed by the prime minister and comprising of chief ministers/prime minister of all provinces/territories. The council will approve national policies on health security which require coordination among the federation and the provinces.

Then there will be a ‘National Health Emergency Response Committee’ headed by federal health minister and comprising 17 other members from all the provinces and territories along with provincial health ministers, provincial home ministers, etc.

The committee will have the authority to communicate instructions, directions and recommend measures to relevant federal ministries, provincial governments, relevant authorities and attached departments and national and international formations for the purposes of responding to emergency.

A ‘National Health Implementation Task Force’ headed by federal health secretary and comprising all chief secretaries, home secretaries and health secretaries of the provinces/territories etc. The task force will act in aid of the decisions of the council and the committee and the Center for Disease Control.

The Task Force will report to the committee and do all things necessary to implement the decisions and directives Issued by the council and the committee.

The federal cabinet has approved in principle the draft of National Health Emergency Response Bill, which is vetted by law ministry. The cabinet will give its formal approval to the bill on Tuesday (today).

The cabinet will also approve amendments to the Criminal procedure Code (CrPC), 1898 relating to investigative powers, and review the proposed Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-related amendments to the Companies Act and the Liabilities Partnership Act.

The cabinet will also approve amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and the Anti-Narcotics Act, 1997. A draft of the proposed amendment to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 will also be presented at the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet will consider the coronavirus, as well as the overall political and economic situation. A briefing by the finance ministry on the Rules of Treasury Single Account 2020 is on the agenda. The cabinet will ratify the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee meeting on July 16.