in default of repayment any such advance may be recovered from such local authority in the manner described in subsection (2) of section sixteen. (2) The Minister may also authorize the making of advances, on such terms and conditions as he may fix, to any local authority to enable it to pay any proportion of the capital expenditure incurred by it in providing suitable hospitals or places of isolation for persons suffering from any infectious disease, and may in like manner recover any advances so made. 46 Refunds to local authorities The Minister may authorize— (a) the refund of one-half of the approved net cost actually and necessarily incurred by a local authority, or by two or more local authorities acting jointly, in providing and equipping an isolation hospital or other isolation accommodation for persons suffering from any infectious disease, or detained under medical observation because of exposure to the infection of any formidable epidemic disease: Provided that the scheme as a whole and the plans, specifications and estimates in connection therewith shall be approved by the Minister before the expenditure or any liability thereof is incurred; (b) the refund of one-half of the approved net cost actually and necessarily incurred by a local authority, or by two or more local authorities acting jointly, in connection with the management and maintenance of an isolation hospital or other isolation accommodation and the maintenance and treatment therein or in any other hospital or place of isolation of persons suffering or suspected to be suffering from any infectious disease, or of persons detained therein under medical observation because of exposure to the infection of any formidable epidemic disease, such net costs being determined after deduction of any revenue; (c) the refund of two-thirds of the approved net cost actually and necessarily incurred by a local authority, or by two or more local authorities acting jointly or by an epidemic committee, in preventing, investigating, dealing with or suppressing any outbreak of any formidable epidemic disease or any outbreak suspected on reasonable grounds to be of any such disease, including, where necessary, the provision of temporary isolation hospital accommodation. PART IV VENEREAL D ISEASES 47 Application of Part IV This Part shall apply to al sexually transmitted diseases except such diseases as the Minister may specify by statutory instrument. [Section substituted by section 12 of Act 12 of 1997] 48 Duties of medical practitioners (1) Every medical practitioner who attends or advises any patient in respect of any sexually transmitted disease from which the patient is suffering shall— (a) direct the attention of the patient to the infectious nature of the disease and to the penalties prescribed by this Act for infecting any other person with such disease; and (b) warn the patient against contracting marriage unless and until he has been cured of such disease or is free from such disease in a communicable form; and (c) give to the patient such printed information relating to the treatment of sexually transmitted disease and to the duties and responsibilities of persons infected therewith as may be supplied to the medical practitioner by the Ministry. [Subsection amended by section 12 of Act 12 of 1997] (2) Every medical practitioner who knows or has reason to believe that a ny person is infected with a sexually transmitted disease in a communicable form and is not under treatment by a medical practitioner, or is not atten ding for medical treatment regularly and as prescribed by such medical practitioner, shall report the matter in writing to the medical officer of health of the local authority or to the Government medical officer. [Subsection amended by section 12 of Act 12 of 1997] (3) A medical practitioner who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level four or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment. [Subsection as inserted by section 4 of Act No. 22 of 2001] 49 Duties of medical officers of health and Government medical officers to report, and powers of district commissioners (1) It shall be the duty of every medical officer of health and every Government medical officer in his official capacity who knows or has reason to believe that any person is infected with any sexually transmitted disease in a communicable form and is not under treatment by a medical practitioner, or is not attending for medical treatment regularly and as prescribed by such medical practitioner, to give written notice to such person of the requirements