The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday invoked the Essential Services and Maintenance Act (ESMA) in all government and private-run medical services to combat corona virus in the state, a decision to this effect was taken at a emergency meeting held by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday.

At the meeting which was attended by MAUD minister Botsa Satyanarayana, Finance minister Bugganna Rajendranath Reddy and other top officials, the government has decided to bring the entire health sector in the state under the purview of essential services. The AP government said stern action will be taken under the provisions of the Act on the institutes and service providers in the healthcare sector, if they refuse to provide services to the people.

Not only government but even private-run health institutes have also been brought under the purview of ESMA. Officials and employees of all government as well as private-run health and medical institutes, doctors, nurses, health workers, cleanliness workers, maintenance and transport of medical equipment, as well as manufacturing and transportation of medicines and drugs, ambulance services, water and power supply, security related services had been brought under the purview of the ESMA.