Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1950-07-06
Denmark
Health Service

The central administration of
the Danish health services is ex-
ercised by a Board of Health,
which is responsible to the Minis
try of the Interior. The task of
the Board of Health is partly of
a supervisory, partly of consulta-
tive character. It supervises in
situations and individuals engaged
in public hygiene and nursing and
is under the obligation to call the
attention of the authorities to any
infringement or deficiencies and
to attend to any reports or COM
plants addressed to it as to san
itary matters.
The Board of Health also super
vises the hospitals and other in
situations for the curing of the
sick, with exception Of lunatic asy-
lums which are subordinate direct
ly to special directurate. The
medical personnel physicians,
dentists, midwives. chemists, etc.
are responsible to the Board of
Health and are bound to supply
such reports and information as
may be asked of them for the
promotion of public hygiene.
The Board of Health Is divided
into Interchangeable section
and pharmaceutical section. The
States Serum Institute, the State
authorities practical sanitary in
vestigations, the Vitamin Labora-
tory and the Laboratory for the
Control of Drugs and Medicines
are supervised by the Board of
Health. Locally; medical officers
watch over sanitary conditions,
acting also as advisers to munich
pal and administrative authorities.
Among the most important
tasks of the Danish health author
tiles should be mentioned the con-
troll of contagious diseases in ac-
cordance with the provisions con-
tanned IN the Law on Epidemics.
Free hospital treatment has been
established for the more danger
Gus of these diseases, considerable
efforts having also been made in
the fight against venereal diseas-
es and tuberculosis.
BY far the greater part of the
hospitals in Denmark have been
built and are worked by the mu-
nicipal authorities.
Treatment at the public hospi-
tails is extremely cheap; in Copen-
hagen, for. instance, kr. 1.20 per
day, the charge for members of
sick-benefit associations being on
ly 500 of that, and paid by the
association. The stay in hospital
thus does not in itself generally
put the patients to any expense.
DANISH RED CROSS
The Anti-Tuberculosis Cam
paign is a joint effort of the Uni
ted Nations International Chill
dren's Emergency Fund. the Dan
ish Red Cross, the Swedish Red
Cross and the Norwegian Relief
for Europe. At present the cam
paign is going on in seven Euro
pean countries, in North Africa,
India and on Ceylon. In the late
summer and autumn of this year
the work will be extended to 9TH
er countries OF the Middle East,
the Far East and the aim of the
International tuberculosis Cam
paign is to test 100000 chill
dren and adolescents for tubercu-
losis in Europe and millions more
in the rest of the world, and to
vaccinate all those who need pro-
lection against this dreaded dis
ease.
Taxes
The system of taxation in Den
mark Is mainly as follows:
Income Tax to the State: Is
paid on the income after deduction
for breadwinners of 0-18OO Kr. and
4O0-700 Kr. per child. according
to the amount of the income and
place of residence, and for per-
sons who are not breadwinners, Of
0-900 Kr.-The tax increases from
0 Kr. on the first 200 Kr. to 62ft
Of incomes over 100000 Kr. &C.
cording to steeply rising scale.