Mental Treatment Act, 1945
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Provisions applicable where private patient is boarded-out. |
211.—(1) Where a person (in this sub-section referred to as the patient) detained as a private patient is boarded-out under section 209 of this Act in any dwelling by a mental hospital authority, the following provisions shall have effect:— | |
(a) the mental hospital authority shall inform the Minister of the boarding-out of the patient, | ||
(b) the resident medical superintendent of the district mental hospital of the mental hospital authority or another medical officer of such hospital shall visit the patient from time to time and not less often than once in every three months or, if the Minister directs that he shall be visited more frequently, not less often than may be appropriate in accordance with the direction, | ||
(c) whenever the patient is visited pursuant to paragraph (b) of this sub-section, the person making the visit shall enter a report of the visit in a book which the person in charge of the dwelling shall keep and shall produce for the purpose of such entry being made, | ||
(d) the resident medical superintendent, on being required by the mental hospital authority to furnish any information in relation to the patient or the dwelling, shall give such information, | ||
(e) the resident medical superintendent, if he is not satisfied with the condition of the patient or the dwelling or if he considers it necessary to make any recommendation in relation to the patient, shall make a special report on the case to the mental hospital authority, | ||
(f) if the patient becomes at any time in need of medical aid, the person in charge of the dwelling shall either— | ||
(i) report the matter to the resident medical superintendent, or | ||
(ii) in a case of urgency, call on the services of any registered medical practitioner and report to the resident medical superintendent the name of such practitioner and the fact that his services have been called on, | ||
(g) if the patient is ill and there is, in the opinion of a medical practitioner attending the patient, anything unusual in the illness calling for the, attention of the resident medical superintendent, the practitioner shall report the illness to the resident medical superintendent, | ||
(h) the mental hospital authority may at any time remove the patient to any institution maintained by them or to a different private dwelling, and, if the patient becomes dangerous to himself or others, it shall be the duty of the mental hospital authority to remove him forthwith to an institution maintained by them, | ||
(i) where the mental hospital authority remove the patient pursuant to paragraph (h) of this sub-section, they shall inform the Minister of the removal, | ||
(j) the mental hospital authority may, on the recommendation of the resident medical superintendent, discharge the patient if he ceases to be of unsound mind, | ||
(k) if the patient is discharged, the resident medical superintendent shall, not later than seven days after the discharge, inform the Minister thereof, | ||
(l) if the patient dies, the person in charge of the dwelling shall forthwith report the death to the resident medical superintendent, | ||
(m) on receipt of a report of the death of the patient, the resident medical superintendent shall inform the Minister of the death, | ||
(n) the Inspector of Mental Hospitals may at any time visit the patient or inspect the dwelling and the person in charge of the dwelling shall give the Inspector all reasonable facilities for carrying out such visit or inspection, and shall also produce the book kept by him for the purposes of paragraph (c) of this sub-section for inspection by the Inspector. | ||
(2) If any person required to do any act by sub-section (1) of this section fails to do such act, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds. |