This Bill is intended to implement an agreement arrived at between the Corporation of Cork, the South Cork Board of Public Health and the Committee of Management of the Cork Fever Hospital and House of Recovery with a view to the provision of improved institutional accommodation for cases of infectious disease occurring in Cork City and in the surrounding district. The principal institution at present available for the treatment of these cases of infectious disease is the Cork Fever Hospital and House of Recovery which was established in pursuance of the Hospitals (Ireland) Act, 1818, and is now maintained by annual contributions from the Cork Corporation and County Council and by voluntary subscriptions. It is administered by a committee of management composed of representatives of the corporation, county council and voluntary subscribers. 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 health of Cork City and the Cork County medical officer of health reported that considerable and costly alterations would be necessary to bring the existing institutions up to a proper standard of efficiency for the treatment of patients suffering from infectious disease. It was recognised that the expenditure of large sums of money in renovating these old buildings would be uneconomical and it was accordingly decided to erect a modern fever hospital to serve Cork City and the South Cork district and to replace the existing institutions. The Committee of Management of the Cork Fever Hospital and House of Recovery who had obtained a substantial grant from sweepstake funds to improve that institution have consented to co-operate in this proposal and to contribute towards the cost of the new hospital the unexpended balance of that grant which at present amounts to about £60,000. The agreement of the local authorities concerned has also been secured on the basis of joint control of the new institution as indicated in the Bill. It will be noted from the terms 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 board of management of the new institution resign, die or are disqualified, while the number of representatives of the local authorities is to be proportionately increased. The chargeability of the cost of administering the new institution has also been agreed upon. The annual expenses will be payable by the corporation and the South Cork Board of Public Health in the proportion of the number of in-patient days for which patients from the respective administrative areas of these authorities are responsible. I will now give a general summary of the provisions of this legislation.
Part I of the Bill contains general definitions and authorises any necessary public inquiries and expenditure on the part of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health in connection with the operation of the Act. Part II empowers the Corporation of Cork to submit a scheme to the Minister, 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 its execution is made from the Hospitals 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 of the Bill provides on its coming into force for the immediate transfer to the Corporation of Cork by the committee of the existing fever hospital of any unexpended balance of moneys already received by that committee from sweepstakes funds, and deals with the disposal of these moneys. It requires the corporation within such period as may be fixed by the Minister for Local Government and Public Health to erect and establish an infectious disease hospital to be known as the Cork Fever Hospital. Arrangements are made for meeting the cost of operating the existing fever hospital pending the establishment of the new institution and for defraying the expenditure involved in the provision of the latter institution. An appointed day is to be fixed by the Minister for Local Government and Public Health on which the new fever hospital is to be regarded as established.
The Bill prescribes the constitution and mode of election and procedure of the board of management of the new institution, which body is to be styled the Cork Fever Hospital Board. It authorises the appointment of a resident medical superintendent of the new fever hospital, and provides that he shall be under the control of the medical superintendent officer of health of Cork City. The appointment of other necessary officers is also dealt with and certain statutory powers are conferred on the board.
Provision is made for the transfer to the board of the new institution on the day appointed by the Minister and power is conferred on them to improve and extend the hospital and to dispose of surplus land with the consent of the Minister. Arrangements are made for the management and control of the new institution and for the treatment therein of patients from Cork City and the South Cork joint district, and also from outside areas by agreement with the sanitary authorities concerned and on such terms as may be arranged. Right of entry into the hospital is granted to the Cork City medical superintendent officer of health and the county medical officer of health.
The Bill confers borrowing powers on the new fever hospital board and deals with the manner in which their accounts are to be kept. Provision is made for the dissolution on the appointed day of the corporate body established under the Hospitals (Ireland) Act, 1818, and of the committee of the existing fever hospital and for the transfer of their property liabilities and staff to the board of management of the new institution.
Provision is made for safeguarding the rights of the transferred staff. The new fever hospital board is empowered to manage the existing institution until such time as it can be closed and the patients transferred to the new institution. Finally, the Minister is authorised to make regulations in regard to certain matters so as to facilitate the carrying into operation of the powers granted by this legislation.
Seeing that the provisions of the Bill are based on an agreement arrived at between the local bodies concerned and that there is urgent need for the provision of a new infectious disease hospital to serve Cork City and the adjacent district, I hope that this measure will commend itself to the House and that its speedy passage into law will be facilitated.