Private Hospitals Act 1971

This Act may be cited as the Private Hospitals Act, 1971 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may by notification in the Gazette appoint, such date not being earlier than the date on which the notification is published.

"Director General" means the Director General of Health, Malaysia;

"infectious disease" means any disease for the time being specified in the Schedule to this Act;

"Minister" means the Minister charged with the responsibility for health;

"licensed hospital" means a private hospital in respect of which a licence is in force;

"maternity home" means any premises used or intended to be used for the reception of pregnant women or of women immediately after child-birth and includes a hospital so used or intended to be so used;

"nursing home" means any premises other than a maternity home used or intended to be used for the reception of, and the provision of nursing for persons suffering or convalescing from any sickness, injury or infirmity and includes a hospital so used or intended to be used;

"patient" means any person for the time being maintained in any premises for the purposes of receiving any medical treatment in consideration of payment made or to be made in respect of such treatment, and includes any person receiving free medical treatment and maintained in any premises for that purpose provided by his employer;

"private hospital" means any premises other than a Government hospital or institution in which two or more patients are maintained at the same time and includes any private maternity home and any private nursing home.

No premises shall be used as a private hospital except under the authority and in accordance with the terms or conditions of a licence issued by the Director General.

An application for the issue of a licence under this Act shall be addressed to the Director General in the prescribed form.

An appropriate licence in respect of a private hospital shall be issued by the Director General upon payment of the prescribed fee.

In issuing the licence, the Director General may impose such terms and conditions as he may think fit.

The Director General shall cause to be kept and maintained a register of all licensed hospitals.

A certificate signed by the Director General stating that a private hospital has been or has not been registered or has been registered but the licence in respect of which has been revoked or suspended shall be admissible in evidence and shall be sufficient proof of the matters described therein unless the contrary is proved.

Every licensed hospital shall be one of the following kinds, namely—

a maternity hospital;

a medical hospital;

a surgical hospital;

a psychiatric hospital;

a convalescent hospital;

a children's hospital;

a hospital licensed for any two or more of the above mentioned purposes;

any other type of licensed hospital which the Minister by notification in the Gazette declares to be included under this section.

When any licensed hospital is managed, maintained, carried on or used in a manner which in the opinion of the Director General is detrimental to the interest of the public or which is contrary to the provisions of this Act or any regulations thereunder, he may order the revocation of the licence or the suspension of the licence subject to such conditions as he may think fit to impose:

Any person aggrieved by the order of the Director General under subsection (1) may appeal to the Minister within such period as may be prescribed and the decision of the Minister to confirm, vary or revoke the order of the Director General under this subsection shall be final and conclusive and shall not be subject to appeal or review in any court.

The Director General or any person authorised by him may, at any time, visit and inspect any licensed hospital, and all premises used for the purposes thereof or in connection therewith.

Whenever the Director General or any person authorised by him exercises his powers under this section it shall be the duty of every person who is an officer or employee of any licensed hospital—

Any person who refuses to allow any officer or person referred to in subsection (1) to enter or inspect any such premises or to inspect any records referred to in subsection (2) or obstructs any such officer or person in the execution of his powers under this section shall be guilty of an offence.

Any person who manages, maintains or carries on a maternity home or a nursing home at the date of commencement of this Act shall within a period of one year from the date of such commencement apply to the Director General in the prescribed form for the issue of an appropriate licence under this Act.

The Minister may exempt any private hospital, nursing home or maternity home from the operations of any or all the provisions of this Act.

An exemption granted under this section may be withdrawn at any time and shall cease to have effect on the expiration of one year from the date on which it is granted, without prejudice, however, to the power of the Minister to grant a further exemption.

A decision of the Minister under this section shall be final and conclusive and shall not be subject to appeal or review in any court.

Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or any regulations made thereunder shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.

Regulations.

The Minister may make such regulations as may be necessary or expedient for giving full effect to the provisions of this Act and without limiting the generality of the foregoing such regulations may be made for all or any of the following purposes-

prescribing anything which is to be or may be prescribed under this Act;

regulating or prohibiting the admission into private hospitals of persons suffering or suspected of suffering from any infections disease;

prescribing forms, fees, records for the purpose of this Act;

prescribing the records to be kept of patients received into and of persons employed in a private hospital, maternity home or nursing home and, in

requiring notification to be given of any birth or death occurring in a private hospital;

requiring minimum standards of siting, construction, accommodation, sanitation, water supply, lighting, staffing and equipment which minimum standards shall in no case be less than those prescribed by any by-laws made by the Local Authority;

provision of means of extinguishment of fires;

provision of adequate means of escape in case of fire;

prescribing enclosing means of escape in a building used as a private hospital; and

regulating or prohibiting the performance of any specified class of surgical operation in private maternity hospitals.

The provisions of this Act shall not apply to any maternity home or nursing home maintained or controlled by the Government or to any premises used for the reception of sick or dying persons licensed under any other written law for the time being in force.

The Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No. 69, Repeal. 1971 is hereby repealed.