Mental Treatment Act, 1961

Amendment of section 217 of Principal Act.

27.—(1) The following subsection is hereby substituted for subsection (1) of section 217 of the Principal Act:

“(1) (a) Where the person in charge of a district mental hospital or other institution maintained by a mental hospital authority is satisfied that a person detained therein as a private patient has recovered, he shall give notice to that effect to the person by whom the last payment on account of the person detained was made.

(b) Where the chief medical officer of a mental institution not maintained by a mental hospital authority is satisfied that a person detained therein as a private patient has recovered, the person in charge thereof shall give notice to that effect to the person by whom the last payment on account of the person detained was made.

(c) A notice under this subsection shall contain an intimation that, unless the person detained is removed before a specified date not earlier than seven days after the date on which the notice is given, he will be discharged.

(d) In paragraph (b) of this subsection, the reference to the chief medical officer of an institution shall, where the institution consists of premises for the reception of one person only, be construed as a reference to the medical attendant of the person detained.”

(2) The following subsection is hereby substituted for subsection (3) of section 217 of the Principal Act :

“(3) A notice under this section in relation to a person detained in an institution maintained by a mental hospital authority which is not a district mental hospital shall not be given save with the approval of the resident medical superintendent.”