The Department of Health and Environmental Control is invested with all the rights and charged with all the duties pertaining to organizations of like character and is the sole advisor of the State in all questions involving the protection of the public health within its limits.
It shall, through its representatives, investigate the causes, character, and means of preventing the epidemic and endemic diseases as the State is liable to suffer from and the influence of climate, location, and occupations, habits, drainage, scavengering, water supply, heating, and ventilation. It shall have, upon request, full access to the medical records, tumor registries, and other special disease record systems maintained by physicians, hospitals, and other health facilities as necessary to carry out its investigation of these diseases. No physician, hospital, or health facility, or person in charge of these records is liable in any action-at-law for permitting the examination or review. Patient-identifying information elicited from these records and registries must be kept confidential by the department and it is exempt from the provisions of Chapter 4 of Title 30. It shall supervise and control the quarantine system of the State. It may establish quarantine both by land and sea.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 32-2; 1952 Code Section 32-2; 1942 Code Section 4998; 1932 Code Section 4998; Civ. C. '22 Section 2309; Civ. C. '12 Section 1570; Civ. C. '02 Section 1085; G. S. 912; R. S. 957; 1878 (16) 729; 1892 (21) 19; 1916 (29) 958; 1972 (57) 2495; 1988 Act No. 336, Section 1.
Structure South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 1 - Department Of Health And Environmental Control
Section 44-1-30. Meetings of Board; compensation of members.
Section 44-1-40. Selection, term,and salary of director.
Section 44-1-50. Administrative reviews; power to organize department.
Section 44-1-60. Appeals from department decisions giving rise to contested case; procedures.
Section 44-1-65. Appeals of department permitting decisions for animal facilities; procedures.
Section 44-1-70. Rules and regulations of board must be approved by General Assembly.
Section 44-1-80. Duties and powers of board as to communicable or epidemic diseases.
Section 44-1-90. Board shall advise municipal and county authorities.
Section 44-1-100. Assistance from peace and health officers.
Section 44-1-110. Duties of department in regard to public health, in general.
Section 44-1-130. Department may establish health districts and district advisory boards of health.
Section 44-1-140. Department may promulgate and enforce rules and regulations for public health.
Section 44-1-143. Requirements for home-based food production operations.
Section 44-1-145. Minimum cooking temperature for ground beef; exceptions.
Section 44-1-150. Penalty for violating rules of department.
Section 44-1-151. Penalties for violations involving shellfish.
Section 44-1-160. Prosecution of nuisance not affected by rule-making power of department.
Section 44-1-170. Department shall supervise local boards of health.
Section 44-1-180. Department may establish charges for health care.
Section 44-1-200. Department may provide home health services.
Section 44-1-210. Disposition of moneys collected.
Section 44-1-215. Retaining certain funds.
Section 44-1-280. Coordination with First Steps to School Readiness initiative.
Section 44-1-290. Supplier of effluent for irrigation as public utility.
Section 44-1-310. Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Review Committee.
Section 44-1-315. Environmental permits and permittees; boundary clarification.