HEALTH ACT TO BE EXTENDED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 64, 8 December 1937, Page 3

HEALTH ACT TO BE EXTENDED

-Prett Asiociation.)

Amendment Bill Before House POWERS OF ISOLATION

(By Telegraph-

? •' WELLINGTON, Last Night,Extensions to the Health Act of 1920 ixe contained in the Health Amendnent Bill, which Was introduced by Bovernor-General '» message in the Eouse to-day. The Bill provides that, in any outlying islands or other areas which are aot within the jurisdiction of any local authority or harb'our boaitl, the promotion and conservation of public health is to be the function of the Health Department. Reqsonable fees may be Levied by the department on owners or occupiers of land within the areas concerned. There is provision that the obliga- _ tion on local authorities to • provide sanitary works, on the requisition of the Board of Health, is not to be limited in any Tespect. Local authorities are also empowered to carry out sanitary works for the benefit of their districts, even if the proposed works are outside; their boundaries. The Auckland "and Suburban Drainage Hoard, the Christchurch Drainage Board and the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board are to be regarded as local authorities for the purposes of the principal Act' relating to sanitary works. " • ' No person is to be appointed as a sanitary inspector by a local authority unless he is fully qualified in accord- . ance with thf regulations, and provision is made that, except with the approval of the Director-General of Health, the work of a sanitary inspector. v Is to be regarded as a whole-time job. Ihe sanitary requirements of business premises are to be extended by the requirement that an adequate supply- of pure water for drinking and other purposes must be provided for tbe free use of workers. Closing orders in respect of insanitary premises are in future to be served on the own„r of the premises, as well as the occupier. A special exemption was included in the principal Act regarding Lake Takapuna as t'he source of water supply for the North Shore boroughs at Auckland. This section is repealed by the Bill, and the Health Department is given full power to determine the purity of the water supply. The functions exercised by local authorities under the Health Act are to be exercised by all harbour boards with respect to wharves, buildings and lands under their control and also ships in port. j Among the clauses dealing with actual disea'ses, there is power for officers of the Health Department to isolate carriets or suspected carriers of infectioua diseases. The quarantine regulations, as they apply to overseas ships, are to be modified in accordance with recent practice, and additional quarantine provisions are included to operate in case of aircraft. These latter provisions give the necessary authority for port health officers to carry out medical inspeciions of aircraft. passengers in substantially the same manner as inspec* tions of oVerseas ships. Sections of aerodromes may accoidingly be set apart for quarantine purposes. . Further provisions are made for the medical examination of - school children in the direction of an extension .to cover all registered schools. However, an application in writing must be niade by tho controlling authority of tbe school if inspection is desired. The provisions for the protection of infirra or neglected persons are also extended. The Gazette notice of 1904, which added certain venereal diseases to the iist of infe'ctious but not notifiable diseases, is now to be confirmed by legislation. Protection is to be given from civil or criminal liability to persons acting Act. "When the Bill was introduced, the Minigter of Health (Hon. P. Fraser) said there had been no amendment to the Health Act. for 17 years, and there were certain weaknesses which had to be rectified. The proposed Bill would *be referred to the 'Health- Committee nfter the recess. -■ "^j The Bill was read a first time-