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Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulation 1973

Public Health Act 1973
This reprint of this Statutory Instrument incorporates all amendments, if any, made before25 November 2006 and in force at  1 July 2001.

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Legislative Counsel
Dated 25 November 2006

INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Chapter 226D.

Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulation 1973

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS.

Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulation 1973

MADE under the Public Health Act 1973.

Dated                   200 .

PART I. – INFECTIOUS DISEASES GENERALLY.

1. REPORT OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.

A report under Section 16, 17, 18 or 19 of the Act shall be in Form 1.

2. FEES.

Where an arrangement is made by the Minister under Section 50(1) of the Act for the examination or treatment by medical practitioners of persons suffering from venereal diseases, the remuneration to the medical practitioners is–

(a) for an examination–K 1.00; and

(b) for treatment–

(i) for the first attendance on each patient–K0.70; and

(ii) for each subsequent attendance–K0.50.

3. TREATMENT AT SUBSIDIZED PUBLIC HOSPITALS.

At the request of a medical practitioner, the committee of a subsidized hospital may receive any person certified by the medical practitioner to be suffering from a venereal disease into its institution, as an outpatient or inpatient, for examination and treatment free of charge.

4. REPORTS BY MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.

(1) For the purposes of Section 52(1) of the Act, the prescribed form is Form 2, and the period within which it shall be given is seven days.

(2) The fees payable to a medical practitioner for notices sent or given to the Commissioner under Section 52(1) of the Act are–

(a) for each case that occurs in his private practice–K0.25; or

(b) for each case that occurs in his practice as medical officer of a hospital, if he is not in receipt of any remuneration as an officer of the hospital–K0.10.

5. REPORT OF FAILURE TO CONTINUE TREATMENT.

For the purposes of Section 52(3) of the Act, the prescribed form is Form 3.

6. WARNING TO PATIENTS.

For the purposes of Section 53(1)(a) of the Act, the prescribed form is Form 4.

PART II. – VENEREAL DISEASES.

7. RESTRICTION OF TREATMENT.

(1) A pharmacist who sells or supplies drugs or medicines for the treatment of venereal disease to any person, otherwise than on the prescription of a medical practitioner, is guilty of an offence.

Penalty: A fine not exceeding K40.00.

(2) The following drugs shall not be sold or supplied by a pharmacist except where prescribed by a medical practitioner:–

(a) a patent or proprietary medicine that is specifically recommended for the cure, alleviation or treatment of a venereal disease;

(b) a synthetic organic arsenic compound;

(c) a synthetic organic silver compound;

(d) grey oil or a mercurial emulsion specifically prepared for the cure, alleviation or treatment of a venereal disease;

(e) hydrargyrum cum creta (or its admixtures), biniodide of mercury, tannate of mercury or cyanide of mercury, in pill or tablet form;

(f) sandalwood oil or its derivatives, or copaiba or its derivatives, in the form of emulsions or capsules;

(g) methylene blue in the form of pills, tablets or capsules;

(h) any medicated bougie;

(i) gonococcus vaccines, serums or gonorrhoeal phylactogen.

8. TREATMENT OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM VENEREAL DISEASE.

(1) A person who is suffering from syphilis shall attend for the prescribed treatment at least once every two weeks during the continuance of primary or secondary symptoms, and afterwards not less than once every four weeks.

(2) A person who is suffering from gonorrhoea shall attend for the prescribed treatment at least once every seven days during the continuance of acute symptoms, and afterwards once every 14 days.

(3) A person who is suffering from soft chancre shall attend for the prescribed treatment at least once every seven days.

(4) A person who is suffering from gonorrhoeal ophthalmia shall attend for the prescribed treatment every day during the acute stage, and afterwards once every seven days.

(5) A person who is suffering from venereal granuloma or venereal warts shall attend for the prescribed treatment once every seven days.

(6) A person who is suffering from gleet shall attend for the prescribed treatment once every 14 days.

9. NOTICE OF CHANGE OF MEDICAL PRACTITIONER.

For the purposes of Section 58 of the Act, where a person suffering from a venereal disease, who has consulted and placed himself under treatment by a medical practitioner, has consulted and placed himself under the treatment of another medical practitioner and informed him of the name and last-known address of the medical practitioner by whom he was previously treated–

(a) the second medical practitioner shall immediately notify the previous medical practitioner in Form 5; and

(b) the previous medical practitioner shall immediately notify the Commissioner in Form 6.

10. CERTIFICATE OF CURE, ETC.

(1) In this section–

“certificate of cure” means a certificate under Section 59 of the Act that a person is cured of, or is free from, venereal disease;

“certificate of freedom from liability to infect” means a certificate under Section 59 of the Act that a person has ceased to be liable to convey infection by venereal disease.

(2) A certificate of cure or of freedom from liability to infect shall be in Form 7.

(3) In the case of syphilis, a certificate of cure or, subject to Subsection (4), of freedom from liability to infect shall not be given unless–

(a) two years have elapsed from the first appearance of the primary manifestation; and

(b) the patient has undergone treatment for a period of at least 12 months to the satisfaction of the medical practitioner in attendance; and

(c) after a period of at least three months has elapsed since the completion of the last course of treatment, there has been no manifestation of syphilis; and

(d) a specimen of the patient’s blood–

(i) taken at least 48 hours after an injection of Salvarsan, or an efficient substitute, has given a negative Wasserman’s reaction when examined by a medical practitioner; or

(ii) where it is clinically inexpedient to use Salvarsan or its substitutes–has given a negative Wasserman’s reaction on two occasions, separated by at least two months.

(4) A certificate of freedom from liability to infect may be given–

(a) if–

(i) one year has elapsed from the first appearance of the primary manifestation; and

(ii) the other conditions prescribed by Subsection (3) have been satisfied; or

(b) if two years have elapsed with satisfactory intermittent treatment, even though the Wasserman’s reaction remains positive.

(5) In the case of gonorrhoea, a certificate of cure or of freedom from liability to infect shall not be given unless–

(a) all signs of inflammation have been absent for at least one month; and

(b) microscopic urinary examination by a medical practitioner for the purpose has failed to detect the presence of Gram-negative diplococci resembling gonococci.

(6) An examination for the purposes of Subsection (5)(b) shall include at least two specimens taken at intervals of at least one week.

(7) In the case of soft chancre, a certificate of cure or of freedom from liability to infect shall not be given until the lesions have entirely healed.

(8) A medical practitioner who has issued a certificate of cure or of freedom from liability to infect shall immediately notify the Commissioner in Form 8.

11. DUTY OF PARENTS AND GUARDIANS.

(1) A report for the purposes of Section 60(3) of the Act shall be in Form 9.

(2) Directions for the purposes of Section 61 of the Act shall be given in Form 10.

(3) A parent, guardian or other person who refuses or neglects to carry out a direction under Section 61 of the Act is guilty of an offence.

Penalty: A fine not exceeding K20.00.

12. SPECIAL WARRANT.

The special warrant under Section 70 of the Act shall be in Form 11.

13. RETURN OF CASES.

Each medical practitioner shall forward to the Commissioner on or before 31 January in each year a return in Form 12 of the number of cases of venereal disease–

(a) treated by him; and

(b) cured,

during the preceding calendar year.

Penalty: A fine not exceeding K40.00.

14. GENERAL PENALTY.

A person who commits an offence against this Regulation for which no specific penalty is provided is liable to a fine not exceeding K40.00.

SCHEDULE 1

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 1 – Report of Infectious Disease.

Act, Secs. 16,17,18, 19. Form 1.&break;Reg., Sec. 1.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 2 – Notification of Person Suffering from Venereal Disease.

Act, Sec. 52(1). Form 2.&break;Reg., Sec. 4(1).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 3 – Notification of Failure to Continue Treatment.

Act, Sec. 52(3). Form 3.&break;Reg., Sec. 5.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 4 – Warning Notice to Patients.

Act, Sec. 53(1)(a). Form 4.&break;Reg., Sec. 6.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 5 – Notice of Change of Medical Practitioner.

Act, Sec. 58(2). Form 5.&break;Reg., Sec. 9(a).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 6 – Notice to Commissioner of Change of Medical Practitioner.

Reg., Sec. 9(b). Form 6.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 7 – Certificate of Cure/Certificate of Freedom from Liability to Infect.

Act, Sec. 59. Form 7.&break;Reg., Sec. 10(2).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 8 – Notification to Commissioner of Certificate of Cure Certificate of Freedom from Liability to Infect.

Act, Sec. 59. Form 8.&break;Reg., Sec. 10(8).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 9 – Report by Parent or Guardian or Person in Charge of Child.

Act, Sec. 60(3). Form 9.&break;Reg., Sec. 11(1).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 10 – Directions to Parent or Guardian.

Act, Sec. 61. Form 10.&break;Reg., Sec. 11(2).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 11 – Special Warrant.

Act, Sec. 70. Form 11.&break;Reg., Sec. 12.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Public Health Act 1973.

Form 12 – Return of Cases of Venereal Disease Treated and Cured During Year Ended . . . 20 . . .

Reg., Sec. 13. Form 12.

Office of Legislative Counsel, PNG