HEALTH LAWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1937, Page 10

HEALTH LAWS

EXTENSIONS OUTLINED: '• WEAKNESSES TO BE RECTIFIED. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Dec. 7. Extensions to the Health Act o 1920 are contained in the Health Amendment Bill, which was introduced by Governor-General’s message in the House to-day. . The Bill provides that, m any outlying islands or other areas which are not within the jurisdiction of any local authority or harbour board, the promotion and conservation or pubh health are to be the function of the Health Department. Reasonable fees may be levied by the department on owners or occupiers of land within the areas concerned. _ • , ,„ There is provision that the obligation on local authorities to provide sanitary works, on the requisition of the Board of Health, is not to be limited in any respect. Local authorities are also empowered to carry out sanitary works for the benefit of their districts, even it the proposed works are outside then boundaries. _ , , „ . The Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board, the Christchurch Drainage Board and the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board are to be regarded as local authorities for the purposes or the principal Act relating to sanitary works. „ PURITY OF WATER SUPPLIES. No person is to be appointed as a sanitary inspector by a local authority unless he is fully qualified m accoidance with the regulations, and provision is made that, except with the approval of the Director-General °t Health, the work of a sanitary inspector is to be regarded as a whole-time job; The 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 tor the free use of workers. Closing orders in respect of insanitary premises are in future to be served on the owner of the premises, as well as the occupier. . . . , . A special exemption was included in the principal Act regarding Lake Takapuna as the source of water supply tor 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 This section is repealed by the 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. Among ; the clauses dealing with actual diseases, there is power for officers of the Health Department to isolate carriers or suspected carriers of infectious diseases. The quarantine regulations, as they apply to overseas ships, are to he 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 inspections of aircraft passengers in substantially the same manner as inspections of overseas ships. Sections of aerodromes may accordingly be set apart for quarantine purposes. SCHOOL INSPECTIONS. 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 he made by the controlling authority of the school if inspection is desired. The provisions for the protection of infirm or neglected persons are also The Gazette notice of 1904, which added certain diseases to the list of infectious but not notifiable diseases, is now to be confirmed by legislation. Protection is to be given from civil or criminal liability to persons acting under the Act. When the Bill was introduced, the Minister 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 back to the Health Committee after the recess.

The Bill was read, the first time