LEPERS ġ S.L.45.01 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 45.01
LEPERS REGULATIONS 
27th June, 1939
GOVERNMENT NOTICE 285 of 1939, as amended by Government
Notice 174 of 1949 and Act LVIII of 1974.
Title. 
Medical officer.
Amended by:
G.N. 174 of 1949.
2. There shall be a medical officer in charge of each Leper
Hospital hereinafter referred to as the "hospital".
Two divisions.
female. No communication shall be allowed between the patients of
either division, or with persons outside the hospital, except as is
permitted by these Regulations.
Established diet.* There shall be an established diet for the patients which
may be altered or added to by the medical officer in charge of the
Hospital when the condition of any individual patient so requires.
Such alterations or additions shall be noted in the diet book of the
institution against the name of the patient concerned.
Provision of food 
by relatives.
5. Patients detained in the hospital may have food provided
for them by the relatives and friends, but no articles of food or
drink shall be introduced if, in the opinion of the medical officer in
charge of the hospital, such articles are objectionable on grounds of
health or discipline.
Clothing, 
undergarments and 
bed linen.
6. Patients may use their own clothing, undergarments and
bed linen, provided that they have a quantity which, in the opinion
of the medical officer in charge of the hospital, is sufficient to
ensure proper cleanliness. Otherwise all articles of clothing and
bedding and all undergarments shall be supplied by the hospital.
Laundry.
done in the hospital laundry. No article used by the patients shall be
taken out of the hospital.
Letters.
officer in charge of the hospital for disinfection before they are
despatched to their destination.
Visiting days and 
hours.
9. Patients may be visited by their relatives and friends on
such days and at such hours as may be fixed the Chief Government
Medical Officer, and under such conditions as the medical officer
in charge of the hospital shall consider necessary.
Dangerously ill 
patients.
10. Patients who are dangerously ill may be seen by their
relatives or friends on any day and at any hours during the daytime,
on application to the medical officer in charge of the hospital.
*The original regulation 3 has been omitted, under the Statute Law Revision Act,
1980, in view of the fact that it referred to provisions contained in article 6 of the
Ordinance, which article has been repealed.
2 ġ S.L.45.01 LEPERS
Permission to 
patients to leave 
the hospital for 
temporary periods. 
11. The Chief Government Medical Officer may grant
permission to patients to leave the hospital for temporary periods
under such conditions as he may consider necessary to impose in
each case.
Leprosy Board. 12. The Leprosy Board shall visit the hospital every twelve
months to examine patients and attend to other professional matters
with the medical officer in charge.
Discharging 
patients from 
hospital.
Amended by:
G.N. 174 of 1949.
13. The medical officer in charge of the hospital shall inform
the Leprosy Board of the case of any patient whose condition has,
in his opinion, improved to an extent that might justify his
conditional discharge from the hospital. The Board shall examine
the patient and submit a report to the Chief Government Medical
Officer on the state of the disease in the patient and shall make such
recommendations as it may think fit relative to the patient’s
conditional discharge from the hospital.
Discharged 
patients.
Amended by:
G.N. 174 of 1949.
14. All patients discharged shall conform to the following
conditions: 
( a ) they shall inform the Chief Government Medical
Officer through the medical officer in charge of the
hospital of the address at which they intend to reside
on discharge and of any subsequent change of address;
( b ) they shall present themselves to the Leprosy Board for
examination once every six months, or more often if so
required by the Board;
( c ) they shall not engage in any trade, business,
occupation or work of the following nature -
(i) any trade or business connected with the supply,
preparation or distribution of food, drink, drugs,
medicine or tobacco in any form;
(ii) laundry work;
(iii) tailoring;
(iv) domestic service;
(v)  nursing;
(vi) midwifery;
(vii) hairdressing;
(viii)  itinerant hawking;
Treatment out of 
hospital.
15. Patients who are not removed to, but are to be treated out
of the hospital shall present themselves for treatment at such place
and time as may be ordered by the Chief Government Medical
Officer. All such patients shall present themselves to the Leprosy
Board for examination once every six months, or more often if so
required by the Board. Nursing mothers shall not be allowed to
nurse their babies.
Patient who has 
been conditionally 
discharged.
Amended by:
G.N. 174 of 1949.
LVIII.1974.68
16. In the event of any person who has been conditionally
discharged from the hospital developing contagious manifestations
of leprosy, the Board, through the Chief Government Medical
Officer, shall inform the President of Malta who may revoke the
order for the conditional discharge of any such person and order his
removal to the hospital. In the event of any patient undergoing
LEPERS ġ S.L.45.01 3
treatment out of the hospital developing contagious manifestations
of leprosy, the medial officer in charge of the hospital or any other
medical practitioner who becomes cognisant of the fact shall at
once inform the Leprosy Board, and the Board, after examination
of the patient, shall through the Chief Government Medical Officer
inform the President of Malta, who may order the removal of the
patient to the hospital.
Patients able to 
contribute 
assistance.
17. Patients who, in the opinion of the medical officer in
charge, are able to contribute some assistance to the service of the
hospital or to perform agricultural, needle or other work, may be so
employed in return for extra comforts or a small monthly gratuity
to be fixed by the Chief Government Medical Officer.
Members of 
household.
18. The members of a household where a case of leprosy has
occurred may be subjected from time to time to medical
examination.
Contravention of 
these Regulations.
Amended by:
G.N. 174 of 1949.
19. Any patient who contravenes these Regulations or the rules
of the hospital; or who disobeys the orders of the medical officer in
charge of the hospital; or who creates any disturbance; or who uses
obscene or profane language; or who insults, or reviles, by word or
deed, an officer or servant of the hospital or another patient; or who
commits any nuisance in any part of the hospital; or who damages
or destroys government property or articles belonging to other
patients, shall be liable to any or all of the following punishments
as may be decided by the Chief Government Medical Officer:
( a ) suspensions of leave of absence;
( b ) stoppage of the allowance of money for tobacco, or
stoppage of wine, dessert or any other article of food;
( c ) deprivation of a drive in the country.
The period of any of the above punishments shall no,t in any case,
exceed one month. More serious offences shall be dealt with
according to law.
