Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1946, Blaðsíða 241

239
ment and old age insurance. In all urban districts insurance against
loss of health is obligatory, in rural districts the parish councils niay,
after a general vote has been taken and a majority for it obtained,
adopt compulsory insurance. 54,2 % 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 offic.ers of health and the sanitary committees, in co-opera-
tion with the local police authorities. The chemical anlysis work
is done at the Public Chemical Aanalysis Institute in Reykjavik. 144
samples of food (milk and water excepted) were submitted for ana-
lysis in 1946, out of wich number 4 were found to be not up to the
standards (2,8%).
19. Hospitals, large and small, in 1946 numbered 49 in the wliole
country, whith 1208 beds, or 9,1 beds per 1000 inhabitants, 43 of this
number being general hospitals, with 737 beds, or 5,6%0. In the
tuberculosis sanatoria there are 257 beds, or about 2,0%c. 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 3,1 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 alwyays a large number of tuberculosis patients in the
general hospitals (cf. also tables XVII—XVIII).
Patients in general hospitals this year may be classified as follows:
Epidemic Diseases ...................... 2,9 %
Venereal Diseases ...................... 4,4 —
Tuberculosis ........................... 3,1 —
Hydatid Disease ........................ 0,2 —
Cancer — Malignant Growths ............. 2,1 —
Births, Miscarriages etc................ 12 7 —
Violence ............................... 6,8 —
Other Diseases ........................ 67,8 —
20. Vaccination is compulsory in Iceland. 4933 children were vac-
cinated for the first time, 69% with full reaction, and 2350 revac-
cinated, 64% with full reaction (cf. table XIX).