psychiatrist or his nominated medical officer giving the medical recommendation which is
referred to in section 11 above, or at the time when the application is made, whichever is
the earlier.
(2) Where a patient is admitted within the said period to a psychiatric facility as mentioned in
subsection (1), on an application made under sections 10, 11 or 12, as the case may be, the
application shall be sufficient authority for the hospital management to detain the patient in the said
facility in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance.
(3) Any application for the admission of a patient under sections 10, 11 or 12, as the case may be,
and which appears to be duly made and is founded on the necessary medical recommendations, may
be acted upon without further proof of the signature or qualification of the person by whom the
application or any such medical recommendation is made or given or of any matter of fact or opinion
stated therein.
(4) Once a patient is admitted to a psychiatric facility in pursuance of an application for
admission for treatment, any previous application under this Ordinance by virtue of which he was
detained in a psychiatric facility shall cease to have effect.
17. General provisions as to applications and medical recommendations.__(1) General
provisions as to applications‑‑‑
(a) subject to provisions of this section, an application for admission for assessment or for
treatment may be made either by the nearest relative of the patient, by an approved
psychiatrist or nominated medical officer; and every such application shall specify the
qualification of the applicant to make such an application;
(b) every application for admission shall be addressed to the hostal management to which
admission is sought;
(c) before or within a reasonable time after an application for the admission of a patient for
assessment is made by an approved psychiatrist or a nominated medical officer, as the
case may be, he shall take such steps as are practicable to inform the person (if any)
appearing to be the nearest relative of the patient, that the application is to be or has been
made;
(d) none of the applications mentioned in subsection (1) above shall be made by any person
in respect of a patient unless that person has personally seen the patient with the period of
14 days ending with the date of application;
(e) any recommendation given for the purposes of an application for admission for treatment,
may describe the patient as suffering from more than one form of mental disorder,
namely, severe mental impairment, severe personality disorder, mental impairment, or any
other disorder of disability of mind:
Provided that the application shall be of no effect unless the patient is described in each of the
recommendations as suffering from the same form of mental disorder whether or not he is also
described in either of those recommendations as suffering from another form.
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