Section 15
Section 15
(1)
When notice of an accident has been,given to an employer by a workman or by the Commissioner on a work-man's behalf the employer may, and, if so directed by the
Commissioner, shall, before the expiry of 5 days from the time at which service of the notice has been effected, offer to have the workman examined free of charge to the work-man by a registered medical practitioner and may, and, if so directed by the Commissioner, shall further offer to pay the cost of such medical treatment of and such medicines for such workman as the registered medical practitioner may deem necessary, and the workman shaH submit himself for such examination; and any workman who is in receipt of a periodical payment under this Act shall, if so required, sub-mit himself for such examination from time to time:
Provided that a workman shall not be required to submit himself for examination by a registered medical practitioner otherwise than in accordance with the regulations made under this Act or at shorter intervals than may be prescribed therein.
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Medical ex-amination and treat-ment
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Workmen's Compensation
(2)
If a workman, on being required to do so by the employer under subsection (1), or by the Commissioner, or by an arbitrator, at any time refuses to submit himself for examination by a registered medical practitioner, or in any way obstructs such medical practitioner, his right to com-pensation shall be suspended during the continuance of such refusal or obstruction.
(3)
If a workman having been so required, and be-fore the expiry of the period within which he is liable under subsection (1), to submit himself for medical examination, voluntarily leaves, without having been so examined, the place at which he was residing at the time of the accident his right to compensation shall be suspended until he notifies his employer of his new address and offers himself for such examination.
(4)
Where a w9rkman, whose right to compensation has suspended under subsection (2) or (3), dies without having submitted himself for medical examination as re-quired by those subsections, the Commissioner may, if he thinks fit, direct the payment of compensation to the depen-dants of the deceased workman.
(5)
Where under subsection (2) or (3) a right to com-pensation is suspended, no compensation shall be payable in respect of the period of suspension, and, if the period of suspension commences before the expiry of the waiting period referred to in paragraph (a) 'Of subsection (2) of sec-tion 4, the waiting period shall be increased by the period during which the suspension continues.
(6)
Where an injured workman has refused to be treated by a registered medical practitioner whose services have been offered to him by the employer free of charge or, having accepted such offer, has failed to carry out or de-liberately disregarded the instructions for his treatment of such medical practitioner, then -
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Workmen's Compensation
(a)
where the workman is in receipt of periodic-al payments under the provisions of this Act, the
Commissioner may order the suspension of such periodical payments until such workman accepts such treatment or has carried out such instructions, and may further, where he is satisfied that the duration of the workman's incapacity has been prolonged by such refusal, failure or disregard, order the restriction of the period of such periodic-al payments to such period, calculated from the date of injury, as the incapacity of the workman might reasonably have been expected to have lasted for, had he accepted such treatment and carried out such instructions; or
(b)
where the workman has suffered permanent incapacity and the Commissioner is satisfied that such incapacity has been aggravated by such refus-al, failure or disregard the Commissioner may order that compensation be paid to the workman appropriate to such disablement as he might reasonably have been expected to have suffered if he had been regularly treated by a registered medical practitioner.
27 16.
(1)
The Minister shall from time to time by notifica-Approved
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d hospitals and tton m t e azette ec are w tc osptta s are approve special has-hospitals for the purpose of this Act; and, where a workman pitals is so injured that a registered medical practitioner certifies that his treatment in an approved hospital is necessary, such
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workman may be admitted to an approved hospital.
(2)
Where the Minister is satisfied that suitable equipment and supervision are available in any hospital for the treatment and convalescence of injured workmen and especially for giving them treatment for the re-education of injured parts and the restoration, so far as practicable, of
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bodily powers and general health, he may by notification in the Gazette declare such hospital to be a special hospital for
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Workmen's Compensation the purpose of the Act; and any injured workman may be admitted for treatment to such special hospital on the re-commendation of the registered medical practitioner in charge of an approved hospital:
Provided that the registered medical practitioner in charge of such special hospital certifies that in his opinion such treatment will benefit the workman.
(3)
Where an injured workman is admitted either to an approved or a special hospital, the employer shall, in addition to the payment of compensation to the workman or, where the workman's death supervenes, to that work-man's dependants, be liable to pay directly to such hospital all ward fees and treatment fees in respect of such workman and the cost of such medicines and of such artificial limbs, surgical appliances and other prostheses required as a result of the injury sustained as are certified by the registered medical practitioner in charge of the approved or special hospital to be reasonably necessary and which are in fact supplied to such workman:
Provided that His Majesty in Council shall from time to time by notification in the Gazette fix the maximum amounts for which an employer shall be liable in respect of the sever-al fees and costs specified in this subsection.
(4)
If the injured workman refuses treatment at an approved or special hospital any award of compensation made to him may, at the instance of the employer, be sus-pended or reviewed by the Commissioner.
Review 17.
(1)
Any periodical payment payable under this Act, either under an agreement between the workman and the employer and consented to and recorded by the Commis-sioner or under the award of an arbitrator, may be reviewed by the Commissioner on the application either of the em-ployer or of the workman accompanied by a certificate of a
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Workmen's Compensation registered medical practitioner that there has been a change in the condition of the workman.
(2)
Any periodical payment may, on review under this section, and subject to the provisions of this Act, be continued, increased, decreased or ended.
29 18.
Any periodical payments may by agreement between Commuta-the workman and the employer consented to and recorded ~:ri~Jical by the Commissioner or, if the workman and the employer payments cannot agree or the Commissioner does not consent and the payments have been continued for not less than 6 months, on application to an arbitrator, be commuted into a lump sum to be paid instead of such half-monthly payments of such amount as may be agreed to by the parties and con-sented to by the Commissioner or determined by the arbit-rator, as the case may be.