Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament (MP) M.A. Sumanthiran on Monday (19) presented a private member’s bill to the Secretary General of Parliament requesting to gazette the proposed Public Health Emergency Act in all three languages.
In a written request, Sumanthiran had requested the Secretary General to make arrangements to gazette the contents titled “Public Health Emergency Act, No. … of 2020”, which is to come into force on the date of certification as per Article 79 of the Constitution.
The drafted act calls for a declaration of a state of public health emergency given that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread throughout the world.
The MP highlighted the need to:
- Convene Parliament, Cabinet, courts, and the Public Health Emergency Council using audiovisual technologies
- Allow the public to access service remotely including the issuance or renewal of identity documentation; the issuance of birth, death, or marriage certificates; the issuance of certificates of absence; and the issuance or renewal of licenses through remote electronic means
- Appoint a Public Health Emergency Council inclusive of the President, who shall be the Chairman of the Council; the Prime Minister, who shall be the Vice Chairman of the Council; Leader of the Opposition; Cabinet Ministers of Health, Social Welfare, Environment, Home Affairs, Science and Technology, Defence, Police, Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Education; and the Director General of Health Services