The city council may at any time appoint a health authority,
who shall possess the legal qualifications required by the state and
shall be a regular practicing physician in good standing.
(1986 Code, ch. 8, sec. 4:A)
(a)
It
shall be the duty of the health authority to attend to all sick city
prisoners, all patients in any hospital established by the city, and
all persons found sick or wounded on the streets of the city and taken
charge of by the police officers.
(b)
The
health authority shall, when he is informed of the existence of any
malignant fever, smallpox, or other pestilential, infectious or contagious
disease in this city, cause the person affected to be taken to such
place as he may designate for treatment; and the health authority
is hereby empowered to make and enforce all proper rules and regulations
to keep the diseased person isolated, and to prevent intrusion from
parties not under his direction and control.
(c)
It
shall be the duty of the health authority to require the destruction
or removal from the city of all furniture, wearing apparel, bedding,
or property of any kind which shall be suspected of being tainted
or infected with pestilence, or which shall be likely to pass into
such a state as to generate or propagate disease.
(d)
The
health authority shall keep himself advised of the existence of any
pestilential, contagious, or infectious disease within this state
or elsewhere, and if at any time there may be danger in his opinion
of such disease being introduced into the city he may require all
persons and property to remain in quarantine at such place or places
as the city council may direct.
(e)
It
shall be the duty of the health authority to see that all laws and
ordinances relative to the health and cleanliness of the city are
strictly complied with, and he shall see that city officers perform
their duties faithfully in discovering and making complaints against
the authors of nuisances.
(f)
The
health authority is authorized, when the public interest requires,
to exercise for the chief of police [such duties] as the city council
may in their discretion direct, and he is authorized to enter all
houses and other places, public or private, at all times, in the discharge
of his duties, having first asked permission of the owners or occupants
thereof.
(1986 Code, ch. 8, sec. 4:B)
(a)
The
city council may at any time erect or establish one (1) or more hospitals
for the treatment of the sick and disabled, and, when established,
shall make and prescribe or authorize the health authority to make
and enforce such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the
control and management of same.
(b)
The
city council shall prescribe the conditions of admission to all city
hospitals and shall fix the fees and dues to be paid for receiving
and keeping persons therein; provided, the mayor may, in his own discretion,
send sick or disabled persons who are unable to pay for treatment
to any city hospital free of charge.
(c)
All
city hospitals which may be established shall be under the supervision
of the health authority, and he alone shall be authorized to receive
or discharge any patient therefrom.
(d)
All
city hospitals shall at all times be open to the inspection of the
mayor and city council, and all hospital fees and dues shall be paid
into the city treasury and set aside as a hospital fund, and the city
treasurer shall keep a separate account thereof.
(1986 Code, ch. 8, sec. 4:C)
