(1) A physician, nurse-midwife, or any other person who assists at the birth of any newborn must, within the time limit stated in (3), instill or have instilled into each conjunctival sac of the newborn, erythromycin (0.5%) ophthalmic ointment or drops from single-use tubes or ampules.

(2) A prophylactic agent referred to in (1) above may not be flushed from a newborn's eyes after instillation.

(3) The prophylactic agent must be administered to a newborn within one hour after its birth unless it is physically impossible to obtain the agent within that time, in which case the agent must be administered as soon as possible.