Chapter XXI VITAL STATISTICS AND THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE

COMPULSORY REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS.— Every Municipality shall register all births and deaths occurring in the Municipal area under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (Central Act 18 of 1969) and the rules made thereunder and make the registration compulsory.

OBLIGATION OF MEDICAL PRACTITIONER OR OWNER OR OCCUPIER OF HOUSE TO REPORT DANGEROUS DISEASE.—

1. (1) Where any medical practitioner becomes cognizant of the existence of any dangerous disease in any private or public dwelling (not being a public hospital) in the municipal area, he shall inform the Secretary with the least practicable delay.
2. (2) The information shall be communicated in such form and with such details as the Secretary may require.
3. (3) The Secretary may direct the compulsory communication of information by the owner or occupier of every house within the municipal area during such period to such officer as the Secretary may specify, of all details from or occurrence of, dangerous diseases in his house. Explanation.— In this section, medical practitioner shall include a practitioner in ayurveda medicine, sidha medicine, unani, tibbi medicine or homoeopathic medicine.

POWER OF ENTRY INTO SUSPECTED PLACES.— The Secretary or the health officer may, at any time, by day or by night and without notice, if it appears reasonable to him inspect any place in which any dangerous disease is reported or suspected to exist and take such measures as he may think fit to prevent the spread of such disease beyond such place.

DISINFECTION OF BUILDINGS AND ARTICLES.—

1. (I) Where the Secretary or the health officer is of opinion that the cleansing or disinfection of any premises or part thereof, or of any article therein is likely to retain infection, will tend to prevent or check the spread of any dangerous disease, he may, by notice require the occupier to cleanse or disinfect the same in the manner and within the time as may be specified in such notice.

1. (2) Where the Secretary or the health officer considers that immediate action is necessary, or that the occupier is, by reason of poverty or otherwise, unable effectually to comply with his requisition, the Secretary or the health officer may, without notice cause the premises or the articles to be cleansed or disinfected and for this purpose may cause such article to be removed from the premises, and the expenses incurred by the Secretary or the health officer shall be recoverable from the said occupier in cases in which he was in the opinion of the Secretary or health officer not unable by reason of poverty to effectually comply with such requisition.

Provision of places for disinfection and power to destroy infected articles.—

1. (1) The Secretary shall from time to time notify places at which conveyances, clothing, bedding or other articles which have been exposed to infection from any dangerous disease shall be washed or disinfected.
2. (2) The Secretary may direct any clothing, bedding or other articles likely to retain such infection to be disinfected or destroyed and shall, on demand, give compensation for any article destroyed under this sub-section.
3. (3) No person shall wash such clothing or bedding or other articles in any place other than those set apart for such purpose under sub-section (1).

PROHIBITION OF TRANSFER OF INFECTED ARTICLES.— No person shall, without previously disinfecting it, give, lend, let, hire, sell, transmit or otherwise dispose of any article which he knows or has reason to believe has been exposed to infection from any dangerous disease:

Power of Municipality to prohibit use of water likely to spread infection Power of Municipality to prohibit use of water likely to spread infection.— Where the health officer or local medical officer certifies that the water in any well, tank or other places within a municipal area, if used for drinking is likely to endanger or cause the spread of any dangerous disease, the Municipality may, by public notice, prohibit the removal or use of such water for drinking and domestic purposes during a specified period mentioned in the notice.

SECRETARY MAY ORDER REMOVAL OF PATIENTS TO HOSPITAL.— Where a hospital or other place for the reception of persons suffering from dangerous diseases is provided by a Municipality, the Secretary may, on a certificate signed by a qualified medical practitioner, arrange for, or direct the removal to such hospital or place of any person suffering from a dangerous disease who is, in the opinion of such practitioner, without proper lodging or accommodation, or without, medical supervision for prevention of the spread of the disease, or who is in a place occupied by more than one family.

PROHIBITION OF INFECTED PERSON CARRYING ON OCCUPATION.— Where any person knows or has been certified by the health officer, the local medical officer, or a qualified medical practitioner that he is suffering from a dangerous disease, he shall not engage in any occupation or carry on any trade or business unless he can do so without risk of spreading the disease.

PROHIBITION OF DISEASED PERSON ENTERING PUBLIC CONVEYANCE.—

1. (1) No person who is suffering from any dangerous disease shall, without taking proper precautions against spreading such disease, cause or suffer himself to be conveyed in a public conveyance.
2. (2) No person who is suffering from any dangerous disease shall enter a public conveyance without previously informing to the owner or driver or person in charge of such conveyance that he is so suffering.
3. (3) No owner, driver, or person in charge of a public conveyance shall knowingly carry or permit to be carried in such conveyance any person suffering from any dangerous disease in contravention of sub-section (1).
4. (4) No owner, driver or person in charge of a public conveyance shall be bound to convey any person suffering from any dangerous disease unless and until the said person pays or tenders a sum sufficient to cover any loss and costs that may be incurred for disinfecting such conveyance.
5. (5) A court convicting any person for contravening sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) may levy, in addition to the penalty for the offence provided in this Act an additional fine of such amount as the court may deem sufficient to cover the loss and costs which the owner or driver incurred for the purpose of disinfecting the conveyance and the amount of such additional fine imposed shall be awarded by the court to the owner or driver of the conveyance: Provided that if such additional fine is imposed in a case which is subject to appeal, the amount shall not be paid to the owner or driver before the period allowed for presenting the appeal has elapsed, or if an appeal is presented, before decision in the appeal.
6. (6) At the time of awarding compensation in any subsequent civil suit relating to the same matter, the court shall take into account any sum which the plaintiff shall have received under this section.

LETTING OF INFECTED BUILDINGS.— No person shall let or sub-let or for that purpose allow any person to enter a building or any part thereof in which he knows or has reason to believe that a person has been suffering from a dangerous disease until the health officer has granted a certificate that such a building may be reoccupied. Explanation.— For the purpose of this section the keeper of a hotel or lodging house shall be deemed to let the same or part of the same to any person accommodated therein.

POWER TO ORDER CLOSURE OF PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT.— In the event of the prevalence of any dangerous disease within a municipal area the Municipality may, by notice, require the owner or occupier of any building, booth or tent used for purposes of public entertainment to close the same for such period as it may fix.

MINOR SUFFERING FROM DANGEROUS DISEASE NOT TO ATTEND SCHOOL.— No person being the parent or having the care or charge of a minor who is or has been suffering from a dangerous disease or has been exposed to infection therefrom shall, after a notice from the health officer or the local medical officer, that the minor is not to be sent to school or college, permit such minor to attend school or college without having procured from the health officer, the local medical officer or a qualified medical practitioner a certificate that in his opinion such minor may attend without undue risk of communicating such disease to others and no fee shall be charged by the health officer or the local medical officer for the grant of such a certificate.