VENEREAL DISEASE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 142, 20 May 1925, Page 2

VENEREAL DISEASE

STRINGENT REGULATIONS.

COMPULSORY NOTIFICATION.

At a meeting’ of the Board of Health held in Wellington on Monday afternoon, the Minister of Health, submitted for consideration proposed regulations gi ring effect to the recommendations of the Committee on Venereal Diseases, it having been found that tho {towers desired-could le secured by the issue of regulations. The board decided to support tho issue of tho regulations, and to urge the Minister to bring thern into force without delay. ! • . , It is understood that the regulations require alt persons suffering from venereal disease to submit to medical treatment. If a patient fails to continue treatnent until cured, it. becomes .the duty of ihe doctor to notify tho case confidentially to tho Director-General of Health.

In addition, . power is giver to tho Director-General of Health when he has reason to bejiovo that any person suffering from a venereal disease ir a communicable form to require such person to submit himself for examination to some medical practitioner, fvho shall forward his report to tho Director-General of Health. If tho report' is positive, the poison must submit to treatment; and if tl o person fails to do so. he then becomes liable to a fine of £2O.

Power is also given to tho DirectorGeneral of Health to issue detention orders requiring persons suffering from venereal disease to be detained in hospital, or other place, where they may be effectively isolated. Any person so detained hts a right of appeal to a Stipendiary Magistrate. Special arrangements will bo made for free treatment where tho circumstances of the person concerned requires tins. The Director-General has power to ariange for treatment at the cost of the State. Medical men are also required to give warning notices to all patients suffering from venereal disease. The warning notice is that they are required to continue treatment; and, if they fail they render themselves liable to a fine. If the patient is nob married, the patient is warned against marrying until medically certified as cured.

A fine is provided for knowingly infecting any other person ; also for working in any capacity where the patient is likely to infect food for human consumption.

All persons concerned in the administration of the regulations are req tired to maintain (Strict secrecy, and are iorbidden to communicate any matter except as may bo required in the performance of their duties.

All notices and communications sent through the post are required to be marked "confidential.”

The regulations, of which the above is a summary, simply embody the recommendations of the Committee on Venereal Diseases.