I move that the Bill be read a Second Time. The object of this Bill is to enable better facilities to be provided for the institutional treatment of cases of infectious disease occurring in Cork City and in the South Cork district. The principal institution at present available for the treatment of cases of infectious disease from the City of Cork and the adjacent rural area is the Cork Fever Hospital and House of Recovery, which was established in pursuance of the Hospitals (Ireland) Act, 1818. This institution is maintained by annual contributions from the Corporation of Cork and the Cork County Council, and by voluntary subscriptions. It is administered by a Committee of Management composed of representatives of the Corporation, of the County Council and of the voluntary contributors. The South Cork district is also served by fever hospitals controlled by the South Cork Board of Public Assistance.
In connection with an epidemic of diphtheria in Cork County Borough and its vicinity a few years ago, it was found that the accommodation available for cases of infectious diseases in these institutions was far from satisfactory, and the medical superintendent officer of the City of Cork and the county medical officer of health of the county, reported that considerable and costly alterations would be necessary to render the existing institutions efficient as regards the treatment of patients suffering from infectious disease. It was considered uneconomical to expend large sums of money in renovating these old buildings, and it was accordingly decided that a modern fever hospital should be provided to serve Cork City and the South Cork district, and that the existing institution should be closed. The Committee of Management of the Cork Fever Hospital and House of Recovery who obtained a substantial grant from sweepstake funds to improve that institution have agreed to co-operate in this proposal and to contribute towards the cost of the new hospital the unexpended balance of that grant, at present about £60,000. The agreement of the local authorities concerned has also been secured on the basis of the provisions set out in the Bill for their representation on the board of management of the new institution.
It will be noted from the provisions of the Bill that the representation of the Committee of Management of the existing fever hospital is to be gradually eliminated according as their first elected representatives acting on the new board of management resign, die or are disqualified. The chargeability of the cost of maintenance of the new institution has also been agreed upon. The overhead expenses will be payable in equal parts by the Corporation and the South Cork Board of Public Health and each of these bodies will defray, in addition, the cost of maintenance of patients sent from their district to the institution.
Part I of the Bill contains the necessary definitions and prescribes that all approved expenses incurred by the Minister for Local Government and Public Health in connection with the operation of the Act shall be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas. Part II authorises the Corporation of Cork to submit a scheme to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health for the erection and establishment of the new fever hospital. If, within two years of the passing of this Bill, the scheme is approved by the Minister, with or without modifications, and a suitable grant-in-aid of the carrying out of the approved scheme is made from the Hospital Trust Fund, the Minister shall by Order declare that Part III of the Bill is to come into operation and he shall fix a date for that purpose.
Part III provides for the immediate transfer to the Corporation of Cork by the Committee of the Cork Fever Hospital and House of Recovery of any unexpended balance of moneys already received by that Committee from sweepstakes funds and deals with the disposal of these moneys. Section 7 requires that the Corporation shall, within such period as the Minister for Local Government and Public Health may fix, erect and establish an infectious disease hospital to be known as the Cork Fever Hospital in accordance with the scheme approved by the Minister. Section 8 prescribes how the cost of carrying out the scheme is to be defrayed, while under Section 9 provision is made for the fixing by the Minister of an appointed day on which the new fever hospital is to be regarded as established.
Sections 10 to 17, inclusive, deal with the constitution and election of the Board of Management of the new fever hospital which is to be styled the Cork Fever Hospital Board. It will be noted from Section 11 how the representation of the committee of management of the existing Cork Fever Hospital is to be gradually eliminated. Sections 18 to 21 deal with the procedure in regard to meetings of the new Cork Fever Hospital Board and their power to make contracts. Sections 22 to 24 authorise the appointment of a resident medical superintendent of the new fever hospital and of such officers as may be required to carry out the necessary duties in connection with the new institution. Sections 24 and 25 apply certain enactments to the new board for the purpose of conferring on them the powers of local authorities in regard to officers and certain other functions. Section 26 prescribes that the new institution shall on the day appointed by the Minister be transferred from the Corporation to the Cork Fever Hospital Board.
Sections 27 to 29 empower the new board to make improvements in the institution from time to time with the consent of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health. Sections 30 to 32 deal with the management and control of the new institution and the class of patients to be admitted for treatment therein. Provision is made for the reception of patients from Cork City and the South Cork joint district, and also for the admission of infectious disease cases from other districts by agreement with the sanitary authorities concerned and on such terms as may be arranged.
Sections 33 to 36 deal with the chargeability of the cost of the new institution and provide for such cost being classified under two heads, namely, establishment expenses and patients' expenses, the former comprising any capital expenditure and the general cost of maintaining and operating the hospital, while the term patients' expenses may be summed up as relating to the cost of the provision of food, medicines, treatment, etc., required for patients individually. The establishment expenses are to be charged in equal shares against the Corporation of Cork and the South Cork Board of Public Health. Each of these bodies is to defray, in addition, the patients' expenses in respect of cases admitted from their administrative area. Section 37 confers borrowing powers on the board of management of the new institution. Section 38 deals with the procedure to be observed in regard to the accounts of the Cork Fever Hospital Board. Section 39 arranges for the dissolution on the appointed day of the corporate body established under the Hospitals (Ireland) Act, 1818, for the existing fever hospital.
Sections 40 and 41 provide for the transfer on the appointed day of the property and liabilities of the above-mentioned body corporate and of the committee of the existing fever hospital to the board of management of the new institution. Sections 42 and 43 authorise the transfer of the officers of the committee of management of the existing fever hospital to the new Cork Fever Hospital Board. Under Section 44 the latter board is empowered to manage the existing fever hospital until such time as it can be closed and the patients transferred to the new institution. Section 45 prescribes that on the appointed day the committee of the existing Cork Fever Hospital is to be dissolved. Section 46 authorises the Minister to make regulations in regard to certain matters so as to facilitate the carrying into operation of the powers granted by the terms of the Bill.
Seeing that the provisions of this Bill have been mainly based on an agreement arrived at between the local bodies concerned and there is urgent need for the provision of a new infectious disease hospital to serve Cork City and the adjacent district, it is hoped that the measure will commend itself to members of this House, and that its passing into law will be facilitated.