Section 15

Where there is already a hospital maintained by the employer, the Director General may, by order in writing, require the employer to enlarge or add to such hospital so as to provide accommodation for a further number of patients as may be stated in the order.

For the purposes of subsection (1) or (2), the Director General may further require the employer to employ a registered medical practitioner, registered under the Medical Act 1971, to reside at and have charge of such hospital or any hospital maintained by such employer, and to provide such medical practitioner with fit and proper house accommodation to the satisfaction of the

Medical Officer of Health.

If two or more estates are so situated that the required accommodation for patients from such estates can be conveniently provided in one hospital, the Director General may, instead of ordering each employer to construct and maintain a separate hospital, order all the employers concerned to construct within a reasonable time to be stated in such order and thereafter to maintain at their own expense one hospital, hereinafter called a “group estate hospital”, for all such estates with accommodation for such number of patients as may be stated in the order, or if there is already a hospital erected and maintained jointly by two or more employers (whether constructed under the provisions of this section or not) may order them to enlarge or add to such hospital so as to provide accommodation for such further number of patients from their estates as may be stated in the order.

20

Act 446

For the purposes of subsection (4), the Director General may further require the employers to employ a registered medical practitioner, registered under the Medical Act 1971, to have charge of such group hospital and to provide such medical practitioner with fit and proper house accommodation to the satisfaction of the Medical Officer of Health.

Where there already exists an estate hospital or group estate hospital, the Director General may order the employers concerned to join such estate hospital or group estate hospital, as the case may be, and be jointly responsible for the maintenance of such hospital.

Every employer referred to in this section and the resident manager of every estate concerned shall be responsible for the registration and the due maintenance of the estate hospital or group estate hospital, as the case may be, registered in accordance with the provisions of the *Private Hospitals Act 1971 [Act 43]

and any regulations made thereunder.

No employer who has constructed and maintained an estate hospital or a group estate hospital, whether in pursuance of an order of the Director General under this section or otherwise, shall reduce the number of beds or discontinue the maintenance and operation of such estate hospital or group estate hospital without the prior written permission of the Director

General.

Payment and recovery of hospital expenses by employer