male and female); recovered patient’s ward (separate male and female); family ward/open ward (separate male and female); closed ward (separate male and female); and criminal ward under maintenance. There were no paying or special wards. Family members were allowed to stay with patients in the family/open wards. There were 20 to 30 patients in each room. The toilet patient ratio of 1:5 was adequate in terms of the prescribed norms and fan patient ratio of 1:1 was excellent. The rooms were well lighted and ventilated All patients had been provided with cots, proper bedding and lockers to keep their personal belongings. Patients were provided with five dresses and sufficient number of linens. Patients dresses were changed daily or whenever required and linens were changed on alternate days. The relatives staying with the patients in the open ward were given vacant beds or alternatively were provided with bedding facilities. The average duration of stay of patients was 10 days in family/open ward, 70 days in acute patient wards and 3 months chronic patients ward. Decertification was done by the hospital authorities and discharged patients were sent with relatives, occasionally sent with hospital escort and rarely sent home alone. There were only 10 long stay patients languishing in the hospital from 2 to 10 years due to 2 patients admitted 10 years back had not shown any signs of improvement and were unmanageable at home; one deaf, dumb and illiterate patient totally incapable of communicating about his address and other 7 patients went home on being discharged but came back and got readmitted due to relapse and behavioural and social disorders. The total number of deaths between 2006 and 2010 was 9, of these 7 were natural deaths and 2 were suicides. Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB), Goa (6th to 9th December, 2010) Each patient admitted in the hospital was medically examined by taking his weight, conducting blood, urine and other special investigations and the results his/her weight, conducting blood, urine and other special investigations and case file for each was opened and maintained properly. The weight of the patients was checked once a week on every Sunday. The resident doctors were examining inpatients every day. The Matron used to take three rounds in a week and 2 Assistant Matrons were taking daily rounds. Except one inmate others were found to be mute. The treating physicians and staff nurses should spend more time with inpatients and engage them in conversation to enable and facilitate them to speak out their feelings and concerns. The mentally ill patients having other health related complications such as appendicitis, cardio-vascular, respiratory, kidney, chest, lungs, ENT, eye, or gynaecology complications were referred to Goa Medical College for special Care and Treatment in Mental Health Institutions– Some Glimpses in the Recent Period 61

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