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Public Hospitals (Charges) Act 1972

Chapter 116.

Public Hospitals (Charges) Act 1972.
Certified on: / /20 .

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Chapter 116.

Public Hospitals (Charges) Act 1972.

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS.

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

AN ACT

entitled

Public Hospitals (Charges) Act 1972,

Being an Act relating to charges for services provided at or from public hospitals and clinics.

1. INTERPRETATION.

In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears–

“intermediate section” means the section of a public hospital declared under Section 2 to be an intermediate section;

“out-patient” means a patient who attends a public hospital for examination or treatment but does not occupy a bed for more than four hours;

“public clinic” means a clinic declared under Section 2 to be a public clinic;

“public hospital” means a hospital declared under Section 2 to be a public hospital;

“public section” means the section of a public hospital declared under Section 2 to be a public section.

2. PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND PUBLIC CLINICS.

The Minister may, by notice in the National Gazette, declare–

(a) a hospital to be a public hospital for the purposes of this Act; and

(b) a clinic to be a public clinic for the purposes of this Act; and

(c) a section of a public hospital where professional and other services are rendered to be a public section of the hospital; and

(d) a section of a public hospital where professional and other services are rendered to patients to be an intermediate section of the hospital.

3. FEES.

The fees payable in respect of professional and other services rendered at or from a public hospital or public clinic are as prescribed.

4. WAIVER OF FEES.

Where for any special reason he thinks it proper to do so, the Minister may waive, reduce or defer payment of any fees under this Act.

5. CHARGES FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN.

(1) No charge shall be made for the treatment of a child under the age of six years as an out-patient at the public section of a public hospital.

(2) No charge shall be made for the treatment of a child under the age of 14 years as an out-patient at a clinic.

6. FREE DRUGS AND DRESSINGS.

The Minister may establish lists of drugs and dressings that may be provided by the State free of charge in such circumstances as are determined by the Minister.

7. REGULATIONS.

(1) The Head of State, acting on advice, may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing all matters that by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed, or that are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act, and in particular for prescribing all matters relating to fees.

(2) More than one fee may be prescribed for any service, to be applicable in the prescribed circumstances including–

(a) the time and place of the rendering of the service; and

(b) the persons or classes of persons to whom the service is rendered; and

(c) the financial circumstances of the persons to whom the service is rendered.

Office of Legislative Counsel, PNG