The registration counter located at the entrance of the OPD was manned by four persons having good communication skill to deal with both new and old cases. There were separate queues for convicts and UTPs whose cases were referred by the jail authorities, physically or orthopaedically handicapped, visually challenged, elderly persons and women with children. In the absence of computer facilities at the registration counter the basic data relating to name, address, sex, income, occupation, address and gist of illness of patient was entered manually and registration of each patient took about five minutes. There was no canteen near the OPD although restaurants were available outside the hospital premises. The rooms of Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatric Social Workers were commodious with adequate number of chairs for patients and relatives. Appropriate IEC materials have been displayed on the walls of the room. The working hours for all doctors and para medical staff were 8 hours and services of all medical officers were available round the clock. The Superintendent and his team of doctors comprising Psychiatrist, Psychiatric Social Worker, Clinical Psychologist and staff of the hospital had been providing high quality treatment, care and attention to the patients. Consulting psychiatrist was spending 15 minutes, psychiatric social worker 20 minutes, clinical psychologist half an hour and general duty medical officer 10 minutes on each patient. Staff of mental health hospital was civil, polite, courteous, considerate and extremely humane in their behaviour. The hospital was conducting community satellite clinics only at Limdi and Surendranagar on every alternate Thursday. This hospital had a well - equipped pathological - cum-biochemical laboratory and tests conducted included Haemoglobin count; TC; ESR; MP; RBC; Platelet count; Blood sugar; Blood urea; S. Creatimine; S. Cholestreol; S. bilirubin; S. electrolyte (lithium, sodium, potassium); Urine routine micro; Urine bile salt; and Bile pigment test. The hospital had signed an MOU with NABL accredited laboratory for all other investigations which could not be carried out in the hospital. Samples were collected in the hospital and transferred to the NABL laboratory. Drug compliance was 100% in most of the cases due to excellent counselling at the OPD for patients/relatives about dosage and frequency of drugs and provision of medicines for 60 days as against 15 to 30 days in mental health centres elsewhere in the country. The hospital had been keeping a track of patients or relatives/family members who did not turn up for follow up and letters were sent to them to come and collect medicines. In case patients could not afford to come and collect their medicines, the medicines were sent by courier services to such patients. The Self Help Group namely, ‘Saathi’ visited the homes of the patients to provide counselling on the importance drug compliance. Suggestions · Hospital for Mental Health Ahmedabad should organise community satellite services to enable patients to come and receive OPD treatment at these satellite clinics. Care and Treatment in Mental Health Institutions– Some Glimpses in the Recent Period 41