The hospital had become the nodal institution for the district mental health programme extended to Vizianagaram district. The project was sanctioned in 1999 as a centrally funded scheme for 5 years but was actually commissioned in April, 2005. Staff for the project had been appointed but weekly visits started just one week before the visit of the NHRC team. Suggestions · GHMC Visakhapatnam needs to procure EEG machine on priority basis and also make arrangement for providing sufficient number of beds in the recovery room attached to the ECT room. Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences Shahdara (IHBAS), Delhi (13th August, 2010) The emergency services were available round the clock. Emergency block had 5 beds with full occupancy, OPD lab services; separate medical records section and educational material for patients. On an average 30 patients were seen in the casualty/emergency every day. A multidisciplinary team was providing emergency services in contingencies like acute psychosis, schizophrenia, alcohol and drug withdrawal. Case records were maintained of all patients. IHBAS had a 10 bed short observation facility (SOF) along with laboratory facilities. Patients were attended by Duty doctors including Junior Resident, Senior Resident Consultant on call and Nursing staff. The average duration of stay varied between 3 to 4 days. There was also a provision of dharmshala for family members/relatives of OPD patients. IHBAS had been providing a number of facilities to the disabled persons such as ramps in the hospital, lifts in the wards; wheel chairs and patient stretchers; housekeeping and security staff for helping the disabled persons. The Psychiatry OPD was working on all days from 8.30 AM to 3.00 PM and daily outturn of patients varied from 1200 to 1300. The treatment for BPL patients was absolutely free and APL patients were charged at a nominal rate. A 150’ x 200’ sized waiting hall with 180 chairs had toilet facilities for ladies, gents, physically and orthopaedically handicapped persons. A number of boards and posters indicating the list of holidays, symptoms of various types of mental illnesses, line of treatment, do’s and don’ts for patients/family members had been displayed on the walls of the OPD. The registration counter was managed by 10 data entry operators (DEOs). There were separate registration counters for male, female, physically, orthopaedically and visually handicapped, senior citizens, convicts/undertrial prisoners and cases covered by reception orders from the Judicial Magistrates. The registration charge of Rs. 10 was collected from each patient. The DEOs were entering demographic details (name, age, sex, income, occupation, address, gist of the illness etc.) in the computer and all other details relating to personal history, family history, case history etc. relating to mental illness were entered by the medical officers in the patient’s record manually. The registration was taking 5 to 10 minutes. 38 National Human Rights Commission