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Fiji Legislation |
LAWS OF FIJI
CHAPTER 110
PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES
Ordinances
Nos.
13
of
1955,
37
of
1966,
Act
No.
4
of
1976
AN ACT
FOR THE REGULATION OF PUBLIC HOSPITALS
AND
DISPENSARIES
AND FOR MATTERS RELATED THERETO
[15th April, 1955]
Short title
1.
This Act may be cited as the Public Hospitals and Dispensaries
Act.
Interpretation
2.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-
"medical officer in charge" of a public hospital or public dispensary means the medical officer appointed by the Permanent Secretary to supervise and control the management of any public hospital or public dispensary;
"officer in charge" of a public hospital or public dispensary means the officer in immediate charge of the management of a public hospital or public dispensary;
"Permanent Secretary" means the Permanent Secretary for Health;
"public hospital" and "public dispensary" means respectively a hospital or dispensary maintained out of public funds and includes a health centre or a nursing station. (Amended by 4 of 1976, s. 5.)
Admission to public hospitals
3.
The admission of patients to, and the continuance of their stay, in public
hospital shall be in the discretion of the officer in
charge of the
hospital.
Guarantee of payment
4.
Every person seeking admission to a public hospital for treatment therein shall,
save in the case of those admitted under any of
the provisions of section
5,
either deposit with the officer in charge of the hospital or a person authorised
in that behalf by him a sum sufficient to cover
the cost of his maintenance and
treatment therein for one week or give to the officer or person aforesaid such
guarantee of payment
of all charges and fees for maintenance and treatment as to
such officer or person may appear satisfactory.
Urgent cases and poor persons
5.-(1)
Persons seeking admission to a public hospital and suffering from the effect of
severe accident or from disease threatening
speedy death and requiring prompt
treatment shall be admitted thereto as soon as may
be.
(2) The medical officer in
charge of any public hospital or, in his absence, the officer in charge of such
hospital may admit to the
hospital any person who requires medical care and
treatment but who appears to such officer to be unable by reason of poverty to
pay therefor.
(3) Persons admitted
under the provisions of this section shall not be required to make a deposit or
give a guarantee of payment but
nothing in this section shall be deemed to
relieve any person admitted thereunder from liability to pay charges and fees
for maintenance
and treatment.
Regulations
6.-(1)
The Minister may make regulations relating to-
(a) the government and management of public hospitals and public dispensaries and the patients therein and the admission and discharge of patients and the admission of visitors;
(b) the charges for the maintenance of patients in public hospitals and the charges for the treatment of patients and for the supply of medicines and services thereto in public hospitals and public dispensaries and the charges for services outside the public hospital or dispensary of staff attached to a public hospital or dispensary and the time and manner of payment thereof;
(c) the powers and duties of the staff including all officers, nurses and servants of public hospitals and public dispensaries;
(d) exemption from the payment of the whole or any part of any charge;
(e) the general purposes of this Act.
(2)
Regulations made under the provisions of paragraph
(c)
of subsection (1) may prescribe fines for the breach of any regulation made
thereunder not exceeding for any one offence the sum
of one
dollar.
(3) The medical officer in
charge of a public hospital shall have power, subject to the approval of the
Permanent Secretary to inflict
any fine prescribed under the regulations and to
enforce payment thereof by the deduction of the amount of the fine from the
offending
officer's or servant's salary or
wages:
Provided that no fine shall
be inflicted save after due enquiry in the presence of the officer or servant
concerned, who shall be
given full opportunity to answer any charges made
against
him.
(Section
amended
by
37
of
1966,
s.
35.)
Remission of fines and fees
7.-(1)
It shall be lawful for the Permanent Secretary in his discretion to remit any
fine payable under any regulation made under the
provisions of section
6.
(2)
The medical officer in charge of any public hospital or public dispensary may,
on being satisfied that any person, liable to pay
any charge payable under the
provisions of any regulation made under the provisions of section 6, is unable
by reason of poverty
to pay all or any part of such charge remit in whole or in
part such charge.
Appointment of Board
8.-(1)
The Minister may appoint for each public hospital a Board of Visitors consisting
of not less than three persons, the majority
of which shall not be members of
the public service. One of such members, not being a member of the public
service, shall be appointed
chairman.
(2) Every visitor shall
hold office for two years but may be re-appointed for a further term or
terms:
Provided
that-
(a) the Minister may at any time remove or displace any visitor appointed by him and may appoint another in his stead;
(b) any visitor may by notice in writing addressed to the Minister resign his appointment.
Visits
9.
Every Board of Visitors shall, once at least in every three months, visit and
inspect every part of the public hospital for which
it is appointed, and so far
as circumstances permit shall see every patient therein and the books relating
to the administration
and management of the hospital and shall enter in a book
to be kept for the purpose (to be styled the Hospital Visitors' Book) any
remarks which it may deem proper in regard to the condition and management of
the hospital and the patients therein, and shall sign
such book upon every
visit:
Provided that the powers
granted under this section shall not be interpreted to include any right to
enquire into, comment upon or
criticise any technical modes of treatment of the
sick adopted by the medical officer in charge.
Annual reports by Board
10.-(1)
Every Board of Visitors shall in the month of June in every year forward to the
Minister a report in writing on the state and
condition of the hospital for
which it has been appointed and the sufficiency of accommodation therein, and
shall make such observations
in relation to any matters connected with such
hospital as it may think fit.
(2)
In addition to the annual report the Board of Visitors shall make such reports
upon any matter connected with such hospital as
may be specially directed by the
Minister.
Trespass in hospital grounds
11.-(1)
Any person who enters into or upon the premises or grounds of any public
hospital without lawful excuse shall be guilty of an
offence and upon conviction
shall be liable to a fine not exceeding ten
dollars.
(2) The provisions of
subsection (1) shall not derogate from the provisions of section
197
of the Penal
Code:
(Cap.
17)
Provided
that a person shall not on the same facts be convicted both under the provisions
of this section and of section
197
aforesaid.
Recovery of fees and charges
12.-(1)
All fees and charges made under the provisions of this Act or regulations made
thereunder shall when collected or recovered be
paid into the Consolidated
Fund.
(2) Any fee or charge
payable under or by virtue of this Act and remaining unpaid after the due date
for payment may, in addition
to any other lawful method or recovery, be
recovered as a debt due to the Crown.
Controlled by Ministry of Health
---------------------------
CHAPTER
110
PUBLIC
HOSPITALS AND
DISPENSARIES
_______
SECTION 6-PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES REGULATIONS
_______
TABLE
OF
PROVISIONS
_______
PART I-PRELIMINARY
REGULATION
1.
Short title
2.
Interpretation
PART II-ORGANIZATION AND STAFF
3.
Staff
4. Control of hospitals,
etc.
5. Duties of staff
PART III-PRIVATE PATIENTS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS
6. Attendance on private
patients
PART IV-PATIENTS
Division 1 - In-Patients
7.
Discharge by request
8. Beds,
etc.
9. Patient's
valuables
10. Care and custody of
valuables
11. Power to require
valuables to be given to relative
12.
Disposal of property on death
13.
Admission and discharge of persons under
detention
14. Responsibility for
persons under detention
15. Entering
other wards
16. Visiting other
patients
17.
Diet
18. Disorderly behaviour,
etc.
Division 2 - Out-Patients
19. Hours of
attendance
PART V-HOSPITAL CHARGES
20.
Charges
21. Responsibility for payment
of charges
22. Classification of
accommodation
23. Special
diet
24. Particular
accommodation
25. Calculation of
number of days
26. Child admitted with
mother
27. In-patients, charges for
medicine, etc. Accounts
28.
Out-patients charges, payment
29.
Supplies from hospital or dispensary
stocks
30. Free hospital
treatment
31. Charges for maintenance
in a public ward of a public
hospital
32. Charges at out-patient
clinics
33. Free dental
treatment
34. Vaccination and
inoculation
35. Free
X-ray
36. Free examinations and
certificates
37. Free
accommodation
38. Children in paying
wards
39. Treatment of leprosy and
tuberculosis
PART VI-VISITORS
40. Visiting
hours
41. Visits outside visiting
hours
42. Control of
visits
43. Prohibition of
visits
44. Taking tobacco, etc., into
ward
PART VII-GENERAL
45. Religious
services
46. Entry of certain parts of
buildings prohibited
47. Trespass in
hospital buildings, etc.
48.
Disorderly behaviour in buildings, etc.
First Schedule-Scale of Charges in Public Hospitals and Public Dispensaries and for Out-Services by the Staff thereof
Second Schedule-Form of Certificate
-------------------------------------
Regulations
1
November
1955,
6
November
1956,
29
January
1957,
3
April
1958,
7
November
1958,
3
April
1959,
6
August
1959,
8
October
1959,
29
November
1961,
8
August
1963,
31
August
1964,
12
March
1965,
20
July
1966,
Legal
Notices
Nos.
115
of
1968,140
of
1969,
112
of
1970,
31
of
1974,
32
of
1974,
73
of
1976,
187
of
1980,
14
of
1983
PART I-PRELIMINARY
Short title
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Public Hospitals and Dispensaries Regulations.
Interpretation
2. In these Regulations,
unless the context otherwise requires-
"consultant's clinic" means an out-patient clinic at any public hospital held by a consulting physician, surgeon or other specialist;
"general hospital" means the principal public hospital in a Division;
"general out-patient clinic" means any clinic other than a consultant's clinic or special out-patient clinic;
"medical practitioner" means a government medical officer;
"special out-patient clinic" means a clinic at any public hospital at which special arrangements may be made for the reception of patients or where a particular disease is treated;
"visitor to Fiji" means a person arriving in Fiji for an intended stay of any period not exceeding four months, and includes any member of the crew of any visiting overseas ship or aircraft.
(Inserted by Regulations 29 November 1961; and amended by Regulations 12 March 1965.)
PART II-ORGANIZATION AND STAFF
Staff
3.
The staff of each public hospital and public dispensary shall consist of such
classes of officers and employees in such numbers as
the Permanent Secretary may
from time to time determine.
Control of hospitals, etc.
4. The Permanent Secretary
shall exercise general control and supervision over the organization and
management of all public hospitals
and public dispensaries and over the expenses
of their administration. In the absence from Fiji of the Permanent Secretary the
powers
and authority granted to him by virtue of these Regulations shall be
exercised by the Director of Curative Medical Services.
Duties of staff
5. The duties of officers
and employees of all classes employed in public hospitals or public dispensaries
shall be such as may from
time to time be laid down in writing by the Permanent
Secretary and such officers and employees shall at all times obey all orders
and
directions relating to their duties or to the administration and management of
the hospital or dispensary issued by the Permanent
Secretary.
PART III-PRIVATE PATIENTS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS
Attendance on private patients
6.-(1) The Permanent
Secretary may, at his discretion and subject to such conditions as he may deem
fit to impose, permit any registered
medical practitioner, not in the employ of
the Government, to continue to attend any private patient after the admission of
such
patient to a public
hospital.
(2) The Permanent
Secretary may at any time without notice withdraw any permission granted by him
in accordance with the provisions
of paragraph (1).
PART IV-PATIENTS
Division 1-In-Patients
Discharge by request
7.
No patient shall be refused discharge from any public hospital if he himself
requests such discharge or if, in the case of a patient
under the age of
twenty-one years, the request for discharge is made by the patient's parent or
legal guardian, unless there is statutory
authority to detain the patient in
hospital on account of infectious disease, unsoundness of mind, or other
reason.
Beds, etc.
8.-(1) Every patient
admitted to a public hospital shall occupy the bed in the ward allocated to him
by the officer in charge of the
hospital and no patient shall be entitled to
claim any particular grade of accommodation within the hospital. Any patient may
after
admission be moved to any other ward by the officer in charge of the
hospital notwithstanding that such other ward provides accommodation
of a grade
lower than that of the ward from which the patient has been
removed.
(2) The allocation of
patients, whether in-patients or out-patients, to the care of the various
members of the hospital medical and
nursing staff shall be an administrative
matter for decision by the medical officer in charge of the hospital and no
patient shall
be entitled to demand that he be placed under the care of any
particular member of the hospital medical or nursing staff.
Patient's valuables
9. A patient shall at the
time of his admission to hospital hand for safe keeping to the officer in charge
of the hospital or to the
nursing sister in charge of the ward to which he is
admitted, any money, jewellery or other valuable property in his possession and
unless such property is so handed over for safe keeping no responsibility shall
lie with the hospital authority for its loss during
the patient's stay in
hospital.
Care and custody of valuables
10.-(1) The officer in
charge of a public hospital shall see that suitable arrangements are made for
the safe keeping in a locked
room, cupboard, safe, strong box or other
repository of all property received from patients in accordance with the
provisions of
regulation 9. He shall take such steps as may be necessary to
ensure that-
(a) a register is kept in which shall be entered separately under the name of each patient details of all property so received;
(b) a detailed receipt is issued to each patient for all such property received from him, a carbon duplicate of such receipt being retained by the officer issuing it.
(2)
On being discharged from hospital a patient shall have all property handed over
by him for safe keeping returned to him on his
surrendering and counter-signing
the receipt issued in respect of it.
Power to require valuables to be given to relative
11. Notwithstanding
anything contained in regulation 9 or 10, if the officer in charge of any public
hospital is of opinion that no
adequate facilities exist in the hospital for the
safe keeping of patients' property, he may, in the event of such property being
preferred to him for safe keeping, require that it be given by the patient into
the keeping of a relative or friend outside the hospital
and if such property is
then retained in the hospital by the patient the officer in charge of the
hospital shall not be held responsible
for its loss.
Disposal of property on death
12.-(1) In the event of
the death of a patient in a public hospital any property accepted from him for
safe keeping in accordance
with the provisions of regulation 9 shall be handed
by or on behalf of the officer in charge of the hospital to the next of kin of
the patient or if such next of kin is not known and cannot be reasonably traced
or is outside Fiji such property shall be handed
to the Public Trustee to be
dealt with by him under the provisions of the Public Trustee Act.
(Cap.
64.)
(2)
A detailed receipt for the property handed over under the provisions of
paragraph (1) shall be signed by the recipient and a copy
of every such receipt
shall be forwarded to the Public
Trustee.
(Substituted
by
Legal
Notice
140
of
1969.)
Admission and discharge of persons under detention
13. Any person under
detention in any prison or mental hospital or approved institution requiring
admission to a public hospital as
an in-patient shall be sent by the
superintendent of such prison or mental hospital or approved institution under
escort to the officer
in charge of the hospital together with the warrant of
commitment. The officer in charge of the hospital or any person authorised
by
him shall give to the escort a receipt for the patient and the warrant and shall
retain the warrant in safe keeping at the hospital
for so long as the patient
remains an in-patient. When the patient is ready to be discharged from the
hospital the officer in charge
of the hospital or any person authorised by him
shall notify the superintendent of the prison or mental hospital or approved
institution
from which the patient came and the superintendent shall then make
arrangements for the return of the patient under escort to the
prison or mental
hospital or approved institution together with the warrant of commitment. The
escort shall give a receipt for the
patient and the warrant to the officer in
charge of the hospital or any other person duly authorised by
him.
Responsibility for persons under detention
14. The superintendent of
any prison or mental hospital from which any person under detention is sent to a
public hospital shall be
responsible for taking all necessary steps to prevent
the escape of such person while he is in hospital, including if necessary the
provision of a guard. It shall however be the duty of the nursing sister or
nurse in charge of the ward to report to the officer
in charge of the hospital,
immediately it is discovered, the escape of any person under legal detention
from a ward in her charge
and the officer in charge of the hospital shall then
at once inform the superintendent of the prison or mental hospital from which
the person came and shall take such other steps in the matter as he may consider
necessary.
Entering other wards
15. No patient in any
public hospital shall enter any other part of the hospital than the ward
assigned to him except with the permission
of the officer in charge of the
hospital.
Visiting other patients
16. No patient in any ward
of any public hospital may visit a patient in any other ward except at such
times and under such conditions
as the officer in charge of the hospital may
approve.
Diet
17. The diet of hospital
patients shall be in accordance with scales laid down by the Permanent
Secretary.
Disorderly behaviour etc.
18. Any patient who
behaves in a disorderly manner or who refuses all treatment offered to him or
who disobeys or fails to comply
with the provisions of these Regulations or who
disobeys or fails to comply with any instruction or order given to him under
proper
authority by a member of the medical or nursing staff may be summarily
discharged from hospital by the medical officer in charge.
Division 2-Out-Patients
Hours of attendance
19. Out-patients seeking
attention at a public hospital or public dispensary shall, unless other
arrangements are made in any particular
case by a medical officer on the staff
of such hospital or dispensary, be seen, except on public holidays, between the
hours of 8.30
o'clock in the morning and 1 o'clock in the afternoon and between
the hours of 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the afternoon on Mondays
to Fridays,
inclusive, and between the hours of 8.30 o'clock in the morning and 12 noon on
Saturdays:
Provided that cases
requiring special attention shall, if necessary, be seen outside such
hours.
(Substituted
by
Regulations
20
July
1966.)
PART V-HOSPITAL CHARGES
Charges
20.-(1) Subject to the
other provisions of these Regulations, the charges set out in the First Schedule
shall be made in respect of
the matters therein set
out.
(2) Where a charge in the
First Schedule is stated as a maximum charge, the charge in a particular case
shall, subject to the limit
imposed, be determined by the officer in
charge.
(3) Where a patient or the
person responsible for the maintenance of a patient is unable to meet the
charges in respect of treatment
at a general out-patient clinic or in a public
ward of a public hospital, he shall be exempt from such charges on the
production
of a certificate in the form set out in the Second Schedule signed by
a District Officer or a person authorised in writing by a District
Officer to
give such
certificates.
(Inserted
by
Regulations
29
November
1961.)
(4)
Such a certificate shall remain in force for the period specified therein and
otherwise for a period of twelve months from the
date
thereof.
(Inserted
by
Regulations
29
November
1961.)
(5)
Unless otherwise specified in the First Schedule, the charges payable by
visitors to Fiji shall be double those prescribed in
such
Schedule.
(Inserted
by
Legal
Notice
140
of
1969.)
Responsibility for payment of charges
21. The responsibility for
the payment of any laboratory, X-ray examination or delivery room fees in
respect of a patient referred
to the hospital by a private medical or dental
practitioner shall lie with the private practitioner
concerned:
Provided that if such
patient is admitted as an in-patient to the hospital, the hospital shall be
responsible for the collection of
such fees from the
patient.
(Amended
by
Regulations
29
November
1961
and
6
October
1969.)
Classification of accommodation
22. For the purpose of
determining the in-patient accommodation and maintenance charges as set out in
the First Schedule, the Permanent
Secretary may decide how the accommodation
available in any particular public hospital is to be classified and the
appropriate rate
to be charged for any particular accommodation in such
hospital.
Special diet
23. Where any patient in
any public hospital is provided at his own request with a diet other than the
diet normally prepared for
the ward in which he is accommodated an additional
charge may be made. The amount of such charge shall be determined in each case
by the officer in charge.
Particular accommodation
24. In any case where a
patient is provided with any particular grade of accommodation in a public
hospital, not at his own request
but on the directions of the officer in charge
of the hospital in view of special circumstances such as the nature of the
patient's
illness or the availability of beds at the time, the patient shall be
charged the rate for the grade of accommodation to which he
was admitted or the
rate for the grade of accommodation to which he was removed whichever shall be
the lower.
Calculation of number of days
25. In calculating the
number of days for which charges for patient accommodation or diet shall be
charged the day of admission shall
be included but not the day of
discharge.
Child admitted with mother
26. When in the opinion of
the officer in charge of any public hospital it is necessary that a child under
two years of age and its
mother should be admitted together, only one of the two
being admitted as a patient for treatment, full fees as for one person only
shall be charged.
In-patients, charges for medicine, etc.
27.-(1) Charges payable by
in-patients for treatment, maintenance or the supply of medicines or services
shall accrue due from day
to day.
Accounts
(2) Without prejudice to the right to make earlier demand for any charges due, the officer responsible for the accounts of the hospital shall, on the discharge of any in-patient from any public hospital, prepare a detailed account of all hospital charges owing by such patient and shall see that such account is handed to the patient before he leaves the hospital.
Out-patients charges, payment
28. All out-patient
charges whether for consultation, treatment, medicines, or for any other
hospital laboratory or dispensary services
or supplies shall be paid by the
person responsible for such payment at the time of each attendance of the
patient or at the time
such charges are incurred.
Supplies from hospital or dispensary stocks
29. In the case of any
out-patient treated at a public hospital or dispensary, the medical practitioner
treating such out-patient
shall have power to decide whether any medicines,
drugs, dressings or medical supplies necessary for the treatment of such
out-patient
shall be supplied from hospital or dispensary stocks or whether he
issues a prescription whereby such medicines, drugs, dressings
or medical
supplies may be obtained at the expense of such
out-patient.
(Substituted
by
Regulations
29
November
1961.)
Free hospital treatment
30. All treatment given to
a patient accommodated in a public ward in any public hospital and all drugs,
medicines, dressings and
other medical supplies used in such treatment shall be
free of
charge.
(Amended
by
Regulations
29
November
1961.)
Charges for maintenance in a public ward of a public hospital
31. Except where an
additional charge is made under the provisions of regulation 23, or where the
fees have been reduced or remitted,
charges for the maintenance of a patient in
a public ward in any public hospital shall be at the rates set out in the First
Schedule.
(Substituted
by
Regulations
29
November
1961.)
Charges at out-patient clinics
32.-(1) Charges for
attendance at out-patient clinics at any public hospital or dispensary shall be
at the rates set out in the First
Schedule.
(2) Attendance charges
at general out-patient clinics shall include all medicines, dressings and other
supplies used in the treatment
of the patient but when special medicines,
dressings and other medical supplies are provided, the charge shall be the
actual cost
of such special medicines, dressings and other supplies, together
with an amount of 10 per cent of such actual cost unless the medical
practitioner treating such patient issues a prescription whereby such special
medicines, dressings or medical supplies may be obtained
at the patient's
expense.
(3) The Permanent
Secretary may specify by writing under his hand the medicines, dressings or
medical supplies which are special medicines,
dressings or medical supplies for
the purpose of this
regulation.
(4) Subject to the
provisions of regulations 21 and 35, charges for X-ray and laboratory
examinations at the rates set out in the
First Schedule shall be paid where such
examinations are requested by a private medical practitioner or by persons
attending a special
out-patient
clinic.
(Substituted
by
Regulations
29
November
1961.)
Free dental treatment
33. No charge shall be
made for any dental examination or treatment given at any mobile dental
out-patient clinic to a child who has
not yet reached its eighteenth
birthday.
(Substituted
by
Regulations
12
March
1965.)
Vaccination and inoculation
34. No charge shall be
made at any public hospital or public dispensary for any protective vaccination
or inoculation given in the
general interests of the public health in Fiji; but
a charge may be made when such vaccination or inoculation is carried out at the
request of an individual, or a parent or guardian of such individual, for the
personal protection of the individual so treated, and
is not necessary in the
general interests of the public health in
Fiji.
(Substituted
by
Regulations
3
April
1958.)
Free X-ray
35. No charge shall be
made for any X-ray or laboratory examination where such examination is certified
by a medical practitioner
as being necessary in the interests of general public
health.
(Amended
by
Regulations
29
November
1961.)
Free examinations and certificates
36. No charge shall be
made to any Government department for any examination made or certificate given
at the request of such department
for the purpose of the functions or duties of
the
department.
Free
accommodation
37.-(1)
The following classes of persons shall be entitled to free accommodation and
maintenance, treatment, and other hospital services:-
(a) ex-members of Her Majesty's Forces who served in the war of 1914-18, their wives and their children under the age of eighteen years;
(b) members and ex-members of Her Majesty's Forces (including the Home Guard, the Emergency Reserve Corps, and the British Merchant Navy) who served in the war of 1939-45 in respect of an illness or injury contracted or received in the course of such service and attributable to such service;
(c) persons ordered into and detained in hospital under any statutory authority on account of infectious disease, mental disease, or for any other such reason;
(d) persons transferred to hospital from any prison or approved institution;
(e) members and ex-members of the Royal Fiji Military Forces in respect of an illness or injury contracted or received in the course of service in Malaya and attributable to such service;
(f) students at the Fiji School of Medicine, the Fiji School of Agriculture and the Nasinu Training College;
(Inserted by Regulations 29 January 1957; amended by Legal Notice 140 of 1969.)
(g) members of the permanent staff of the Fiji Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve;
(h) soldiers of the Regular Force of the Royal Fiji Military Forces;
(i) officers of the Royal Fiji Police Force below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police;
(j) officers of the Fiji Prisons Service below the rank of Chief Prisons Officer;
(k) members of the Fiji Royal Naval Reserve not being members of the permanent staff, soldiers of the Territorial Force of the Royal Fiji Military Forces and members of the Special Constabulary of the Royal Fiji Police Force where the treatment is occasioned by injury or illness arising out of their duties with the said Reserve, Force or Special Constabulary;
(Paragraphs (g) to (k) inserted by Regulations 3 April 1959.)
(l) all children under the age of fifteen years admitted to the public ward of a public hospital;
(Amended by Legal Notice 140 of 1969.)
(m) all cases of infectious diseases admitted to a public hospital which in the opinion of a Government medical officer are admitted for the purpose of protecting the health of the public;
(n) all women attending an ante-natal clinic at a public hospital or dispensary;
(o) all patients attending family planning clinics:
Provided that the officer conducting the clinic may make a charge for medical supplies provided;
(Paragraphs (1) to (o) inserted by Regulations 29 November 1961.)
(p) any employee of the Government, in respect of any medical examination carried out or medical treatment rendered in accordance with and to the extent required by any law for the time being in force relating to workmen's compensation;
(q) any person serving in Fiji-
(i) as a member of the Peace Corps of the United States of America; or
(ii) under the British Volunteer Programme or under any similar Commonwealth scheme:
(Inserted by Legal Notice 115 of 1968.)
Provided
that-
(i) in the case of any person in any of the above free categories requiring admission to hospital as an in-patient, the appropriate ward to which he shall be admitted shall be decided by the officer in charge of the hospital, and if the patient then requests a higher grade of accommodation he shall be charged the difference between the rate for the accommodation allotted to him by the officer in charge of the hospital and the rate for the accommodation to which he may be removed;
(ii) the Permanent Secretary may, with the approval of the Minister, by order declare that any of the hospital services or supplies set out in the First Schedule hereto shall not be provided free under this regulation.
(Amended by Legal Notice 112 of 1970.)
(2)
Any officer or employee of the Government shall be exempt from the payment of
any charge or part thereof to the extent and in
the circumstances laid down in
any General Order applying to such officer or employee or in any agreement or
contract made by the
Government applying to such officer or
employee.
(3) Ministers and
Assistant Ministers shall be exempt from the payment of any charge or part
thereof to the same extent,
mutatis
mutandis,
and in the same circumstances,
mutatis
mutandis,
as are laid down in any General Order applying to officers or employees of the
Government earning the same basic salary as such Ministers
and Assistant
Ministers or if there are no such officers or employees earning the same salary
as a Minister or an Assistant Minister,
as are laid down in any General Order
applying to such officers or employees earning the next highest salary
immediately below that
earned by that Minister or that Assistant
Minister.
(Inserted
by
Legal
Notice
32
of
1974).
Children in paying wards
38. Children under the age
of fifteen years admitted to a paying ward of a public hospital shall be charged
one half of the in-patient
accommodation and maintenance
charges.
(Inserted
by
Legal
Notice
140
of
1969.)
Treatment of leprosy and tuberculosis
39. In respect of any
person who-
(a) was born in Fiji; or
(b) is ordinarily resident in Fiji; and
(c) has been certified by a Government medical officer to be suffering from leprosy or tuberculosis or is being treated in respect thereof as an in-patient in any Government hospital or is certified by a Government medical officer to be unfit for work, as a result of either of such diseases, his wife and his dependent children under the age of eighteen years,
no
charge shall be made for accommodation, maintenance, treatment and other
hospital
services.
(Substituted
by
Legal
Notice
140
of
1969.)
PART VI-VISITORS
Visiting hours
40. Visitors shall be
admitted to see patients in any public hospital at such times as the Permanent
Secretary may determine by notice
published in the Gazette as the official
visiting hours and subject to the provisions of regulation 41 no person shall
enter any
ward or visit any patient at any time other than the official visiting
hours.
Visits outside visiting hours
41. The officer in charge
of a hospital may at his discretion where in his opinion special circumstances
exist permit a visitor to
see a patient t a time other than the official
visiting hours for such period of time and subject to such conditions as the
officer
in charge of the hospital may see fit.
Control of visits
42. Subject to the
approval of the Permanent Secretary, the officer in charge of a public hospital
may, by the issue of visitors'
cards or by other means, make such arrangements
for the control of hospital visits as he may consider necessary in the interests
of the welfare of the patients and the efficient management of the
hospital.
Prohibition of visits
43. Any visitor or
visitors may at any time by reason of special circumstances be prohibited by the
officer in charge of any public
hospital from entering any ward or visiting any
patient during the official visiting hours or at any other
time:
Provided that where such a
prohibition results in the general closure of a ward or wards to all visitors or
the general curtailment
of the official visiting hours to such ward or wards for
more than a brief period the officer in charge of the hospital shall report
the
matter to the Permanent Secretary for his confirmation or otherwise of the
action taken.
Taking tobacco, etc., into ward
44. No visitor or other
person shall take into any ward of any public hospital or give or send to any
patient any tobacco or any food
or drink of any kind without the express
permission of the officer in charge of the hospital and the officer in charge of
the hospital
may order the removal from a ward of any article brought to a
patient without his prior approval.
PART VII-GENERAL
Religious services
45. Religious services or
addresses of any kind to the patients in any ward of any public hospital shall
be permitted only at such
times and subject to such conditions as may be
approved by the officer in charge of the hospital having regard to the welfare
and
comfort of the patients and the efficient management of the
hospital:
Provided that in the
case of any patient who is seriously ill no reasonable request to conduct any
form of religious service or ceremony
or to offer prayers or other spiritual
comfort or consolation quietly at the bedside of the patient shall at any time
be refused
if the patient himself wishes it.
Entry of certain parts of buildings prohibited
46. No person, other than
an authorised member of the hospital staff, present at any public hospital
whether as an out-patient or
visitor or on any other business, shall enter the
kitchen, dispensary, store-rooms or any other part of the hospital buildings not
normally open to the general public without the prior permission of the officer
in charge of the hospital.
Trespass in hospital buildings, etc.
47. Any person found
within any part of the grounds or buildings of any public hospital or public
dispensary, unless seeking medical
attention or attending as a visitor during
prescribed visiting hours or present on other lawful business, may be instructed
by the
officer in charge of the hospital or dispensary or the matron or any
sister on duty to leave the grounds of the hospital or
dispensary.
Disorderly behaviour in buildings, etc.
48. Any person who, within
the grounds or buildings of any public hospital or public dispensary, behaves in
a disorderly manner or
otherwise misconducts himself may be instructed by the
officer in charge of the hospital or the matron or any sister on duty to leave
the grounds of the hospital or dispensary.
_______
FIRST SCHEDULE
(Regulation
20,
31,
32)
(Substituted
by
Legal
Notice
187
of
1980;
amended
by
Legal
Notice
14
of
1983.)
SCALE
OF CHARGES IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND
PUBLIC
DISPENSARIES
AND FOR OUT-SERVICES BY THE STAFF THEREOF
(1)
In-patient
Accommodation
and
Maintenance
Charges:-
In
any hospital where any of the following grades of accommodation are
provided:-
$
c
Private suite
............................................. 25.00 per
day
Private ward-single
bed......................... 10.00 "
"
Semi-private ward-two
beds................. 6.00 " "
General
paying ward............................... 4.00 "
"
Public
ward.............................................. 0.50 "
"
Provided that in the case of a
visitor to Fiji, the following charges shall apply in lieu of those specified
above:
Private
suite.......................................................... 100.00 per
day
Private ward-single
bed........................................ 50.00 "
"
Semi-private ward-two
beds................................. 40.00 "
"
General paying
ward............................................ 30.00 per
day
Public
ward........................................................... 20.00 "
"
Babies under 6 months old retained
in or
re-admitted to the General
paying ward allotted
to maternity
cases, unaccompanied by
their
mothers-a fee not
exceeding.................................... 0.50 "
"
(The above charge applies in
respect of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Suva, the Lautoka Hospital and
other Government Institutions
where facilities are
available).
(2)
Out-Patient
Charges
(a)
Charges for general out-patient clinics
at-
I-Colonial War Memorial
Hospital,
Lautoka Hospital and Labasa
Hospital-
Fiji
Citizens................................................ 0.50 per
attendance
Others.........................................................
5.00 " "
II-Other hospitals,
health centres
and
dispensaries-
Fiji
citizens................................................. 0.20 per
attendance
Others.........................................................
5.00 " "
Except in the case
of-
(i) patients otherwise
expected or suffering from venereal disease or such other infectious disease as
may from time to time be specified
by the Permanent Secretary for Health and
Social Welfare* by notification in the Gazette, in which case no charge shall be
made;
*
See
Legal Notice No. 89 of 1982.
(ii)
children under the age of fifteen years of age when no charge shall be
made.
(b)
Charge for attendance in the special
out-
patient clinic and for paying
ward patients
followed-up in these
clinics-
Fiji
citizens.......................................... 2.00 per
attendance
Others..................................................
5.00 "
"
(c)
Consultants' clinics at general
hospitals-a
charge not
exceeding........................... 8.00 "
"
Provided
that-
(i) for attendance at a
special out-patient
clinic or
consultant's clinic if the
patient has
been referred thereto
from the general
out-patient clinic,
the charge shall
be-
I-Colonial War Memorial
Hospital,
Lautoka Hospital and Labasa
Hospital:-
Fiji
citizens............................................ 0.50 per
attendance
Others...................................................
5.00 " "
II-Other hospitals,
health centres
and
dispensaries:-
Fiji
Citizens......................................... 0.20 "
"
Others.................................................
3.00 " "
(ii) where a patient,
having been an
in-patient in the
general ward of a
hospital is referred
to a special out-
patient clinic or a
consultant's clinic in
the hospital
for follow-up purposes,
the charge
shall be-
I-Colonial War Memorial
Hospital,
Lautoka Hospital and
Labasa
Hospital:-
Fiji
Citizens................................. 0.50 per
attendance
Others.........................................
5.00 " "
II-Other hospitals,
health centres
and
dispensaries:-
Fiji
citizens.................................. 0.20 per
attendance
Others.........................................
3.00 " "
(3)
Operations,
etc.
For
any operation listed by the
Permanent
Secretary for Health
as-
private medical
practitioner;
no charge shall be
made under this item to an
in-patient
of a hospital if a charge has
already
been made under item
(3).
(i) a minor operation-a
charge not exceeding ...
30.00
(ii) an intermediate
operation-a charge
not
exceeding............................................................
60.00
(iii) a major operation-a
charge not exceeding 150.00
(iv)
for attendance at delivery in normal labour
when the patient is in hospital .......................... 50.00
(4)
For
use
of
obstetric
delivery
rooms
for
private
patient
by
a
private
practitioner
A
charge of....................................................... 50.00 per
delivery
(5)
Anaesthetics-
For the
administration of any type of
anaesthe-
tics- a charge not exceeding
...........................
100.00
Provided
that-
(a)
this charge shall be in addition to that
specified
in item (4) when the service
is provided for a
private medical
practitioner;
(b)
no charge shall be made under this item
to an
in-patient of a hospital if a
charge has already
been made under item (3).
(6)
For
embalming
body
inclusive
of
documentation
A
charge of
...................................................... 100.00
(7)
For
electrocardiograph
examination
(E.C.G.)
A
charge of...........................................................
6.00
(8)
For
electro-encephalograph
examination
A
charge of...........................................................
50.00
(9)
Physiotherapy-
(a)
Per attendance........................................
1.50
(b)
(i) Short-wave diathermy.................. 3.00 per treatment
(ii) Infra-red radiation........................... 3.00 " "
(iii)Ultra-sonics................................ 3.00 " "
(iv) Wax bath................................... 3.00 " "
(c) (i) Faradic and Galvanic.................. 3.00 " "
(ii) Treatment................................... 3.00 " "
(iii)Stimulation................................. 3.00 " "
(iv) Ionisation................................... 3.00 " "
(d)
Ultra-violet
treatment..................... 3.00 "
"
(e)
For the loan or supply of crutches,
splints
and other appliances-a charge
or deposit
not
exceeding................................... 10.00
The
charges laid down at
(b)
to
(d)
under
this
item shall be made in respect of
all patients
referred to a
Physiotherapy Department
by
(b)
to
(d)
under this private medical
practitioners
and from all special or
consultants' clinics of
a
hospital.
(10)
Dental
Charges-
(a) For
attendance, examination and consulta-
tion
(no actual treatment given)............... 1.00 first and subsequent
visits.
This first visit will include
simple
treatment;
(b) Exodontics
(under local anaesthetics)
Extraction.............................................. 2.00 for the first tooth
Each additional tooth.......................... 1.00
(c) Conservative
Dentistry-
Sedative dressing (for relief of pain)......... 1.00
Amalgam 1 surface (e.g. Cl. I)............... 3.00
Amalgam 2 surface (e.g. Cl. II).............. 4.00
Amalgam 3 surface (e.g. MO. D.D) ........ 5.00
Amalgam Multi-surface with pins............ 8.00
Silicate filling............................................ 5.00
(c)
Composites-resin..............................
8.00
Gold Inlays Cl. III................................ 10.00
Gold Inlays Cl. IV................................ 15.00
Gold Inlays ¾ Crown............................. 20.00
The cost of the gold used shall be charged in
addition;
(e)
Oral Surgery-
Removal of impacted tooth cysts................. 5.00
Removal of roots and apisectomy................ 3.00
(Cost of X-ray to be in addition to above
charges)
Fracture fixation-simple............................. 20.00
Fracture fixation-complication................... 30.00
(f)
Endodontics-(Pulp treatment of the tooth)
Anterior tooth-root fillings........................... 8.00
Pulpotomy-(additional charge for X-ray) 3.00
(g)
Prosthetics-F/F Dentures .................................. 60.00
1 tooth partial denture................................. 10.00
Each additional tooth................................... 2.00
Repair full dentures..................................... 6.00
Rebase full dentures .................................... 10.00
Reline full dentures...................................... 6.00
Adjustments per visit................................... 1.00;
(h)
Dental Radiography-
1 film.......................................................... 2.00
Each extra film........................................... 1.00;
(i)
Periodontics-
Gingivectomy, flap, surgery, miscellaneous
periodontal................................................. 10.00
Surgery (e.g. gingivoplasty)...................... 2.50
Occusal equilibrium................................... 5.00
Scaling and polishing-
Complex.................................................... 24.00
Simple........................................................ 3.00
Pericoronities, periodontal absences.......... 1.00
(j)
Orthodontics-
Multiband therapy........................................ 100.00
Removal appliance therapy.......................... 20.00
(These charges are exclusively for Ortho-
dontics Treatment)
(k)
General Anaesthetics-
(Charge for extraction are additional to
above)............................................................ 25.00
(l)
Miscellaneous treatment-
e.g. dry sockets............................................. 1.00
Control of haemorrhage............................... 1.00
Subject
to the provisions of regulation
33,
dental charges shall not apply in
the case of
a child who has not
reached his fifteenth
birthday, in
which case no charge shall be
made
except for prosthetics and
orthodontics
(11)
X-Ray
Examinations:
Charges
not exceeding the following:- $
c
Adult
Lung
fields
(i) Immigration, Insurance,
Pre-
employment
...........................................................
10.00
(ii)
Others.................................................................
8.00
Abdomen................................................................
10.00
Oesophagus............................................................
10.00
Stomach and duodenum with or
without screening 30.00
Stomach and
duodenum and follow-through of
all
bowel
examination...............................................
36.00
Barium studies (small bowel
series)....................
30.00
Barium
enema......................................................
36.00
Graham's tests
(cholecystography-oral)...............
20.00
Plain gall bladder
examination.............................
10.00
Choleangiography-direct
operation or
post-
operation...............................................................
20.00
Choleangiography-intravenous.............................
30.00
Choleangiography-percutaneous
transheptic.............................................................
36.00
Choleangiography-drip
infusion...........................
30.00
Foreign body in the eye (special
method Sweet's
or
other).....................................................................
15.00
Foreign
body-localisation.....................................
10.00
Radiographic examination of
breasts ...................
10.00
Pregnant
uterus......................................................
10.00
Pelvimetry..............................................................
20.00
Serial angiocardiography (rapid
cassette changing)
each series require
administration of
anaethe-
tics..........................................................................
40.00
Discography-one
side.............................................
20.00
Encephalography....................................................
36.00
Cerebral angiography-both
sides-Administra-
tion of anaesthetics
additional ................................
40.00
Cerebral ventriculography
(administration of
anaesthetics
additional)...........................................
30.00
Hysterosalpingraphy
(administration of anaesthe-
tics
additional).........................................................
40.00
Bronchography........................................................
40.00
Arteriography-peripheral
(anaesthetics
addition-
al).............................................................................
30.00
Phlebography...........................................................
30.00
Aortography (anaesthetics
additional).....................
40.00
Splenography...........................................................
30.00
Myelography............................................................
36.00
Silography-...............................................................
20.00
Sinography...............................................................
20.00
Larynography...........................................................
20.00
Arthrography............................................................
20.00
Children
(12)
Laboratory
Examination
Charges
not exceeding the following:-
Test
involving animal inoculations.
............
Histological examination
of
tissues............
Adult
Preparation
of antigenous vaccines
Hb., WCC.,
Differential Count...............................
5.00
WCC. and Differential
Count..................................
4.00
Haemoglobin............................................................
1.00
Haemotocrit.............................................................
1.00
Raticulocyte.............................................................
1.00
Semen
analysis.........................................................
7.50
Red-cell fragility
tests-.............................................
3.00
Denco-IM
Test.........................................................
3.00
Lupus
erythematosis................................................
3.00
Bone marrow
examination.......................................
10.00
Urine, routine chemical and
microscopic
examina-
tion...........................................................................
2.00
Urine culture and
sensitivity....................................
5.00
Sodium.....................................................................
2.50
Potassium.................................................................
2.00
Uric
acid...................................................................
2.00
Cholesterol...............................................................
2.00
Creatinine.................................................................
2.00
Urea..........................................................................
2.00
Blood
Sugar..............................................................
2.00
Liver function
tests...................................................
7.50
Glucose tolerance
tests.............................................
7.50
Serum
proteins..........................................................
7.50
Latex fixation
test.....................................................
2.00
Phosphorous.............................................................
2.00
Calcium....................................................................
2.00
Bilirubin...................................................................
2.00
S.G.O.T. (Serum Glutamic
Oxeloacetic
Transami-
nase)........................................................................
2.00
S.G.P.T. (Serum Glutamic Pyruvic
Transaminase) 2.00
Acid
phosphatase.....................................................
2.00
Alkaline
phosphatese...............................................
2.00
Serum
amylase.........................................................
2.00
V.M.A. (Vanilyl Mandelic Acid)
............................
7.50
Dilantin
level...........................................................
7.50
Pregnancy
test..........................................................
7.50
Pap
smear.................................................................
5.00
Blood Group and Rh.
..............................................
3.00
Coomb's
test.............................................................
5.00
Full Cross-match for
transfusion..............................
5.00
P.I. (Prothrombin
Index)...........................................
2.50
P.T.T.K. (Partial Thromboplastin
time
with
Kaolin)......................................................................
2.50
Thrombin Clotting
time............................................
2.50
Fibrinogen
Level.......................................................
2.50
T.S.T.
(Full)..............................................................
5.00
Thromboplastin Generation time
(Screening).......... 2.50
(13)
Medical
Certificate
and
Report
(a)
For medical certificates on standard
printed
hospital or dispensary forms
and containing
only the standard
information required by
the
person.......................................................
(b)
For other certificates or reports
where
search and reference to records
are in-
volved - initial
reports...................................
(c)
For subsequent certificate or report
relating
to the same illness or injury
...........................
(d)
For each duplicate of a certificate or
report
referred to in
(b)
and
(c)
above.....................
(e)
Where examinations of persons for
reasons
other than illness are carried
out by government
medical officers,
e.g. in the case of proponents
for
life insurance, candidates for
non-
Government employees in respect
of fitness for
duty etc., the charge
shall be
................................
Provided
that no such examinations will
be
carried out by Government medical
offic-
ers if there is a private
medical practition-
er within
reasonable distance and by
whom the
examination could be
carried
out.
(f)
Ambulance charges:-
Per kilometre (outward and return) ..................
Minimum charge................................................
(14)
Vaccination
or
inoculation
(when
not
necess-
ary
in
the
general
interest
of
the
public
health
in
Fiji)
Charges not exceeding the following:-
Smallpox per vaccination.................................
Cholera per injection.......................................
Yellow fever injection.....................................
SECOND
SCHEDULE
(Regulation
20(3))
_______
FORM OF CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that
................................. (name)
s/o
....................
is exempt from the payment of charges in respect of treatment at a general
out-patient clinic or in a public ward of a public hospital
for a period of 12
months from the ........................... day of ...........................19
...........
Dated this day of
19 .
.........................................................
District
Officer or his authorised representative
Controlled by Ministry of Health
-------------------------------------------------
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