Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1945, Page 268
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ment and old age insurance. In all urban districts insurance against
loss of health is obligatory, in rural districts the parish councils mav,
after a general vote has been taken and a majority for it obtained,
adopt compulsory insurance. 52,0% of the population are now insured
under the National Insurance Act (children who are insured with
their parents not included).
18. Food and Nutrition. Public inspection of food has taken place
in this country since 1936, when the Food Adulteration Act came into
force. This act provides comprehensive control of all articles of food
and other nutritients. This inspection is in the hands of the district
medical officers of health and the sanitary committees, in co-opera-
tion with the local police authorities. The chemical analysis work
is done at the Public Chemical Analysis Institute in Reykjavik. 315
samples of food (milk excepted) were submitted for analysis in
1945, out of which number 13 were found to be not up to the
standards (4,1%).
19. Hospitals, large and small, in 1945 numbered 47 in the whole
country, with 1177 beds, or 9,0 beds per 1000 inhabitants, 41 of this
number being general hospitals, with 706 beds, or 5,4%0. In the
tuberculosis sanatoria there are 257 beds, or about 2,0%„. Of other
special hospitals may be mentioned: 1 lunatic asylum, 1 leprosarium
and 1 small epidemic hospital in Reykjavik. The sickdays in hospi-
tals amounted to 3,2 per head in the whole country, while in the
general hospitals the figure was 1,7 and in the sanatoria 0,76. Added
to this there is always a large number of tuberculosis patients in the
general hospitals (cf. also tables XVII—XIX).
Patients in general hospitals this year may be classiíied as follows:
Epidemic Diseases ...................... 2,3 %
Venereal Diseases ...................... 3,7 —
Tuberculosis ........................... 4,1 —
Hydatid Disease ........................ 0,2 —
Cancer — Malignant Growths ............. 2,7 —
Births, Miscarriages etc. ............. 13,0 —
Violence ............................... 5,3 —
Other Diseases ........................ 68,7 —
20. Vaccination is compulsory in Iceland. 2230 children were vac-
cinated for the first time, 65% with full reaction, and 2266 revac-
cinated, 60% with full reaction (cf. table XX).