Notification by medical practitioner

Every medical practitioner attending on or called in to visit a patient shall forthwith on becoming aware that the patient is suffering from an infectious disease send to the nearest medical officer of health a certificate stating the name of the patient, the situation of the building and the infectious disease from which in his opinion the patient is suffering and shall in the event of the subsequent death of the patient send to the medical officer of health for the district a certificate to the same effect specifying likewise the hour and day of death, Provided that if the medical officer of health is resident at a greater distance than three miles from the building in which the patient resides, or the same distance from the residence of such medical practitioner, the certificate may be forwarded to the nearest magistrate, justice of the peace, health officer, deputy registrar, schoolmaster, alcalde or police officer.