Division 1 Medical officers of health

62   Nomination of medical officers of health

(1)  The Governor may nominate a medical practitioner to be a medical officer of health at such remuneration, if any, as is determined by the Governor.

(2)  Part 2 of the Public Sector Management Act 1988 does not apply to the nomination of a medical officer of health and a medical officer of health is not subject to that Part of that Act.

(3)  The regulations may confer or impose functions on a medical officer of health.

62A   Appointment of acting medical officers of health

(1)  The Director-General:

(a)  may, from time to time, appoint a medical practitioner to act as a medical officer of health during the illness or absence of the officer or while there is a vacancy in the office of such an officer, and

(b)  may, at any time, terminate the appointment.

(2)  A medical practitioner has, while acting as a medical officer of health, all the functions of the officer and is to be regarded as the officer.

63   Medical districts

(1)  The Governor may, by order published in the Gazette:

(a)  describe a medical district (which may include a specified river, lake or harbour, or any specified coastal water or other water), and

(b)  nominate a specified medical practitioner as the medical officer of health for the medical district on and from a date stated in the order.

(2)  An order under this section may describe a group of medical districts and nominate the same medical practitioner as the medical officer of health for each of them.

(3)  The medical officer of health nominated for a medical district may exercise his or her functions under this Act only:

(a)  within that medical district, or

(b)  with the authority of the Director-General, within any other medical district during the absence, or a vacancy in the office, of its medical officer of health.

(4)  With the authority of the Director-General, a medical practitioner who is an officer of the Department of Health and has the prescribed qualifications may, in any medical district, exercise any of the functions of the medical officer of health for the medical district.

64   Inspection of, and extracts from, certain registers

(1)  A medical officer of health (or any person authorised by a medical officer of health) may, at any reasonable time, inspect the registers kept under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995.

(2)  With the authority of the Director-General, an officer of the Department of Health may, at any reasonable time, inspect those registers.

(3)  The Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages is to make such arrangements as may be necessary for an extract from, or a copy of an entry in, a register to be supplied if required by a medical officer of health (or any person authorised by a medical officer of health), or an officer of the Department of Health, entitled under this section to inspect the register.

65   Inspection of premises

(1)  For the purpose of giving effect to this Act, a medical officer of health (or any person authorised by a medical officer of health) may, at any reasonable time, enter and inspect any premises and may make inquiries of any person found on the premises.

(2)  Section 72 (Powers of entry) applies in relation to any entry on premises for the purposes of this section and to any inspection or other action that is authorised by this section.

66   Reports by medical officers of health

(1)  If:

(a)  a matter affecting the health of the public in a medical district comes to the notice of the medical officer of health for the district, or

(b)  the Director-General requests the medical officer of health for a medical district to provide a report on a specified matter affecting the health of the public in the district,

      the medical officer of health is to provide the Director-General with a report on the matter as soon as possible.

(2)  If a matter in respect of which a medical officer of health provides a report under this section is a matter in respect of which a local authority may, or must, exercise a function, the medical officer of health is to send a copy of the report to the local authority.

67   Exercise by medical officer of health of functions of environmental health officer

A medical officer of health (or any person authorised by a medical officer of health) may exercise any functions of an environmental health officer employed by a local authority.