Institute of Psychiatry (IOP), Kolkata (27th November, 2010) All the admissions including both voluntary and court directed had been made by the psychiatrist. The number of patients admitted was 80 in the Psychiatry department and 29 in Drug De - addition ward in 2009. The number of patients discharged from Psychiatry Department was 72 and from Drug De - addiction ward was 29 in 2009. The number of patients discharged was more or less the same as admitted in the hospital. The members of the treating team had been taking 3 to 4 rounds including an evening round. Every morning and evening vital signs were checked and recorded. During morning and evening rounds examination of mental status of all patients was done on a regular basis. A psychiatrist was available on call for 24 x7. From the time of admission families were psycho educated and counselled. The mentally ill patients suffering from other associated complications like appendicitis, cardio vascular, respiratory, ENT, opthalmological, orthopaedic, renal failure, and complications arising out of prostate enlargement leading to prostate cancer were referred to referral hospitals for specialized treatment. The Institute of Psychiatry was maintaining close liaison and coordination with all departments of IPGMER and only a referral letter was sufficient to entertain patients referred by the Institute. The treating team of the Institute kept a constant touch with the referral hospital and held discussions with the physicians/surgeons of IPGMER for management of patients on both sides. The same was true for any psychiatric emergency which occurred in the case of patients who had been admitted for treatment of general illness in any other department of IPGMER. The total bed strength of the Institute of Psychiatry including 6 beds for deaddiction was 36 and there were closed wards and some paying wards. The patient bed ratio was 1:1, toilet patient ratio was 1:3.5 and fan patient ratio was 1:1.4. There was adequate stock of cots, mattresses, linen, pillows and blankets but there no facility to keep patient’s belongings. The closed wards should be replaced with family/open wards, the buildings should be maintained properly. Steps should also be taken to provide facility to patients to keep their belongings. The total cost per patient was Rs. 65 per day, of which Rs. 43.06 was spent on food and the rest on liveries and medicines. The patients admitted by court order were not required to pay anything whereas rest of the patients had to pay except for food which was free for all inpatients. The wards were cleaned once in a fortnight, uniform of patients were changed daily and linens were changed once a week. There was no privacy for the patients. All patients were allowed to write letters to their family members and talk to recognized social agencies. The average stay for patients had come down from 4 to 6 weeks to 2 to 3 weeks. There were occasions for a longer stay up to 3 months partly due to recurrent illness and partly due to refusal on the part of family members to take back their Care and Treatment in Mental Health Institutions– Some Glimpses in the Recent Period 73