PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATION OF PERSONS

Dr Warren Lee asked the Minister for Health whether there are measures where a person with mental illness, who is known to neighbours and community leaders to be causing a disturbance to their neighbours, can be made to submit to psychiatric examination with a view to treatment and commitment to an institution.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: The neighbours and community leaders may want to persuade the family members to bring the person for voluntary psychiatric treatment in the first instance. Failing this, there are provisions in the Mental Disorders and Treatment Act for the apprehension of mentally disordered persons.

Any person, who believes someone to be mentally disordered and dangerous to himself or others, may report him to the police.

The police will investigate the matter and if necessary send the mentally disordered person, with a report of the facts of the case, to Woodbridge Hospital.

If the doctor at the mental hospital believes such a person to be mentally disordered or to require psychiatric treatment as an inpatient, he is empowered by the Act to admit and detain him for 3 days in the first instance. There are procedures established under the law to extend the period of detention incrementally for a total of 13 months. Any further detention will be decided by a magistrate upon the recommendation of visitors appointed by the Minister to the mental hospital.