Rule 99. Garden hospitals

(1) Every employer of plantations specified in column(1) of the Table below shall provide the medical facilities specified in the corresponding entries in column (2) thereof. THE TABLE Sl.No Class of plantations Nature of medical facilities to be provided

(1) (2) (3) 1 Plantations that employ Own garden hospital. 1,000 or more workers 2 Plantations employing Combined garden hospital and own more than 200 workers dispensary but fewer than 1,000 workers 3 Plantations employing Dispensary either individually or in 200 or fewer workers. groups, with necessary equipment and arrangements for visiting doctors (The employers shall ensure that the doctor visits the dispensary at least thrice a week)

(2) Each garden hospital shall be under a qualified Medical Practitioner as assisted by at least one trained nurse, one trained maternity assistant, a qualified pharmacist, one man and one-woman Nursing Orderly, one scavenger and one sweeper. The services of the staff shall be readily available during all hours:

Provided that in the case of doctors, nurses, maternity assistants and pharmacists employed in plantations at the commencement of these rules, the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitators of plantations may, in consultation with the Director of Medical Services, grant exemption from possessing the qualifications prescribed for them.

(3) Medical and auxiliary personnel shall be appointed according to the following scale:-

(i) one qualified medical practitioner for every 1750 workers or part thereof.

(ii) nurse/number of workers not less than 1/1750

(iii) maternity assistants/number of workers not less than 1/1750

(iv) pharmacist/number of workers not less than 1/1750

(v) men nursing orderly /number of workers not less than 1/1750

(vi) women nursing orderly /number of workers not less than 1/1750

(vii) scavenger /number of workers not less than 1/1750

(viii) sweeper /number of workers not less than 1/1750

Provided that where the number of workers does not exceed 2000, no additional practitioner needs to be appointed.

Provided further that where the number of women workers employed in any plantation is not less than 750, a woman medical practitioner also shall be appointed.

(4) (a) A minimum of 15 beds shall be provided in every garden hospital per 1,000 workers served,and each bed shall be allowed at least six square metres of floor space.

(b) Every hospital shall be of sound permanent construction with impermeable washable walls to a height of at least 1.5 metres on the inside with proper water supply and efficient sanitary arrangements.

(c) Every hospital shall have a pure piped water supply, and the wards, consulting room, operation theatre and dispensary shall each have a water point over a suitable glazed sink.

(d) The following departments shall be provided:-

(i) general ward for males

(ii) general ward for females

(iii) maternity with a separate labour room,

(iv)family planning centre

(v) Infectious ward with separate sanitary arrangements.

(vi)Out-patient department (with sufficient waiting space for patients to wait under cover), preferably situated in a separate block form general ward.

(vii) Consulting room so arranged that patients can be examined in privacy.

(viii) minor operation in the dressing room

(ix)dispensary and drug store

(x) general store

(xi)kitchen for cooking

(4) In every hospital, transport facilities shall be provided for carrying patients to and from group hospitals.