AP Govt to enforce ESMA amid coronavirus pandemic in state

Amaravati: Declaring health care and medical facilities as essential services for a period of six months, the Government brings all the public and private health and medical facilities under the Essential Services Maintenance Act,1971 (ESMA, 1971).

KS Jawahar Reddy, Special Chief Secretary, Health, Medical and Family Welfare department has issued GO RT No 228 on Friday, wherein he categorically stated that the government decided to prohibit refusal to work in the essential services.

The services including all health facilities, doctors, nurses and health personnel, sanitation workers in health facilities, purchase, maintenance and transport of medical equipment, sale, transport and manufacturing of medicine and drugs, ambulance services, water and electricity supply, security-related services, food and drinking water provision and management, biomedical waste management are brought under the purview of ESMA.

As COVID19 affected the State, the government enforced the ESMA, Jawahar Reddy informed. The State government can initiate legal action against those who violate the Act and deny the essential services to any citizen.