The COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) has said that more laws are required to deal with situations like the one brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
The meeting, which was held today, was attended by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Citing that the provisions included in the Infectious Disease Act, 2020 were not adequate enough to control the spread of the coronavirus the meeting has asked the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and the concerned authorities to do the needful.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has stated that the government is facing problems on a few fronts in the fight against the coronavirus. He said that it is necessary to operate the health system of the country in a unified manner. Gyawali mentioned that there are hospitals and health centres under the Health Ministry and under provincial and local governments too but they have not been functioning in a unified way. Minister Gywali stated that the country needs laws so that all such hospitals and health centres can be operated in a unified manner.
The second problem that the minister pointed out was regarding the procurement process. He mentioned that to purchase necessary medicines and medical equipment advance payment needed to be made but the Public Procurement Act has no such provision.
Minister Gyawali said that laws needed to be amended to address such issues. He also mentioned that discussions had taken place regarding the issuance of a state of public health emergency and how this would help deal with the pandemic in comparison to the Infectious Disease Act.
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