PUBLIC HEALTH

Timaru Herald, Issue 170307, 1 September 1920, Page 8

PUBLIC HEALTH

some xew arrangements, proposed by amending bill. XL'rom our Parliamentary Correspondent.) WELLINGTON Aug. 31. The Public Health Amendment BiU, which was introduced in the House to-day, is largely a. consolidating measure, but- it contains some importantnew clauses. It creates a. Board of Public- Health, which is to exercise the very wide powers' at present possessed "Jy tho Chief Health Officer, ft ] proposes also to give increased powers r.nd responsibilities to local bodies in public health matters. Tho Bill was read a second time pro forma, and referred to the _ Public Health Committee, which will give persons interested an opportunity to be heard before the Bill returns to the House. "When the Bill was introduced Mr Luke (Wellington North) asked for an assurance that, the new Board would not conflict with the duties of local Lucius (->[- hospital boards. Mr Ilanan (Invereargili) deprecated j the creation of new department's and i hrr.nchrs. He understood that- the Bill did something of this kind. Th«» Jn?;v Boaid was to be free of Ministerial KiiitrcL That meant that tho Board v.-ouid bo free of Parliamentary control :-iid of public control. His own opinion was that local bodies should ht> given a larger share of administrative responsibility. Tii.- Minister lor Public- Health (Mr p;:i:-> said-that- the Board would ab>orb the existing Medical Board of HealUr. and wou'.d .take over the authority possessed at- present- "oy ths w Chief Health Officer. Thw officer end tii- District Health Officers had extraordinarily v.-ide powers at present, r-nd the Government thought the power 3 which were necessary for the protection of ptiblic health in cases of emergency had better l>e exercised by a. Board rather than by individuals. The Chief Health Officer was in a position at present to dictate to local bodies-- The new Board would contain representatives of the Municipal Association and the Counties Association. and the lay element would be in the maiorit;.. The Bill increased considerably the powers possessed by local bodies in respect of public health. The local bodies were being encouraged to do tilings for themselves. The Bill, added the Minister, authorised the creation of several divisions within the Public Health Department, but they ■were- not really new divisions at n'f. They existed already., and the Bill r.iert-'.v regularised their position. Tha division of hospitals wa s directed by Tic "Wylie. the division of nursing by Miss Alaclean, the division of hygiene by Dr Watt, the division of Maori in gic-iiu ly D'r Buck and the division.

... -:h -oi bygone by Br Wilkie. These liivislnsi.s were being given legislative s.i.-:>-iio:i. Imt they were already atwork. :.m! t!»i>ir establishment was not going to involve changes of staff. Mr Lysiisn- .(Gisborne) said that the Gisborne Borough Council desired that '.ho powers of local bodiea in publio health matters should ho curtailed, :i«d -that ib.f. work should ho taken over ■>.- ih_- Public Health Department. The pnsuit arraugement iiroduced contacts of authority.

Yiv A. Vcitcli CiYangauui) asked viii's would be the position of local in:ciifs in -the- event of a recurrence of the- influenza- epidemic. "Would their powers bo greater or less than. in y.m? Tl;o Minister admitted tliafc there, had bcPii confusion of authority at. the time of the epidemic. Tito fact was that in recent- years Hospital Hoards had been expected to look after matter--, or sanitation and hygiene, and the ) work i ad not been well doue. Hokl.iuii Hoards generally did not wish, to ".;e troubled -with matters outside the care of the sick. The Bill proposed to give authority to local bodies instead of Hospital Boards. Local bodies would be ii. direct contact with tihe Pubiia IK-alth Department, which would be prepared to supply trained' inspectors on a part salary arrangement. The care of the health of the.peopie would ho out; ot= the principal duties of every local body. Improved provision was "living mails for dealing with insanitary and unwholesome buildings. Local ruthcrities would be able to exercise direct authority in these matters. CONSTITUTION OF BOARD. The Health. Bill provides that the Chief Health. Officer shall become Di-rector-General of Health. The Board of Health is to be created consisting of the Director General of Health, representative of the Internal Affairs Department, a medical practitioner iu the service of the Government, a medical practitioner nominated by the Medical Association, a member of the Faculty of Medicine at Otago University, one representative' each of the Municipal Association and the Counties Association, a oivil engineer, a chairman of an hospital board, and one other person nominated by the Minister. The last- live meinViers are not x>» be medical practitioners. The Board is io posses? the powera formerly exercised by the Chief Health Officer. DUTIES OF LOCAL BODIES. Each local body is required to promote and conserve the public health within its district, to arrange, for inspect ion. xo secure the abatement of conditions likely to be dangerous to health or offensive. au<J to enforces j health regulations made under tho Act. ; A local authority may he exempted ! from these duties if 'it is unable to i ake adequate provision. A local aui tiioriLy .>K!st carry out any sanitary 1 v.-oiks ordered by til'.- Board "of Health",

sulijecv. xo a right oi' appeal to a Stijieiidir.ry Magistrate. Local authorities may serve owners or occupiers of dwellings with "cleansing orders,'' and may close insanitary premises', the ownor to have a right of appeal to a Magistrate. _ The provision for the demolition of insanitary or dangerous buildings is more drastic than the present Jaw. A local authority may order J3ie demolition of premises on the <:ortificat« of a Health Officer, or of tha surveyor or engineer or tho borough or county. The order must ba issued if the Board of Health so directs. If the owner fails to comply with the order a Magistrate may make a. demolition order, which will" enable the local authority to remove the building and charge the owner with the cost. Health Officers are given wide powers in relation to infectious and notifiable diseases. In the case of an epidemic they may requisition land, buildings, vehicles," drugs and other articles; they may require persons to report themselves or submit for medical examination; they may order isolation, quarantine, and disinfection; may control the movements of persons and ships, and may order the closing of hotels and places of amusement. HEALTH OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. The Bill contains the following provision relating to the medical examination of school children: "Any medical practitioner or other officer authorised in that behalf by the Minister may at all reasonable times enter any public school, secondary school or "technical high school, and examine the children, attending the school, and may notifv thc parents or guardians of any such child of any disease or bodily "defect from which the child may be suffering. Any parent or guardiau of any child who has been notified, by or by direction of ■», medical practitioner or other officer acting under this section., that such child is suffering from any diseasa or bodily defect shall forthwith obtain for such child suitable medical or surgical or dental treatment, a nd if he fails io take reasonable 6teps to obtain suvh treatment he shall ba guilty ov an offence under the Act." The 'penalty for an offence against the Act is sT tine of £lO, with a further fine of £-5 p. day in the case of a continuing offence.