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ACT IX OF 2019 ACT IX OF 2019 BALOCHISTAN MENTAL HEALTH ACT, 2019 An Act to consolidate, alter and amend the law relating to the mentally disordered persons in Balochistan, with respect to their care, treatment and management of their property and other related matters [Gazette of Balochistan Extraordinary, 25th October, 2019] No. PAB/Legis; V (04)/2019, dated 25.10.2019.---The Balochistan Mental Bill No. 04 of 2019 having been passed by the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan on 12th October, 2019 and assented to by the Governor Balochistan, on 24th October, 2019 is hereby published as an Act of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly. Preamble.---WHEREAS, it is expedient to consolidate, alter and amend the law relating to the treatment and care of mentally disordered persons in Balochistan, to make better provisions for their care, treatment, management of properties and affairs and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto and to encourage community care of such mentally disordered persons and further to provide for the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental disorder; AND WHEREAS in pursuance of the eighteenth amendment to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, the subject matter has been devolved to the provinces, therefore; It is hereby enacted as follows:- CHAPTER - III ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT 12. Admission for assessment in cases of urgency.---In any case of urgent necessity, an application for admission for assessment may be made in respect of a patient in accordance with the following provisions:- (a) an urgent application may be made either by a relative of the patient or medical officer; and every such application shall include a statement that it is of urgent necessity for the patient to be admitted and detained under this section and that compliance with the provisions relating to an application for treatment, under section 11 would involve undesirable delay; (b) an urgent application shall be sufficient in the first instance if founded on the medication recommendation of an approved psychiatrist or his nominated medical officer and if practicable, the nominated medical officer shall not be the same medical officer referred to in sub-clause (i) above; and (c) an urgent application shall cease to have effect after 72 hours from the time when the patient is admitted under this section to the psychiatric facility unless-- (i) the second medical recommendation required by section 11 above is given and received by the psychiatrist in-charge of the facility within the said period of 72 hours; and (ii) that such recommendation and the recommendation referred to in sub-clause (ii) above together comply with all the requirements as contained in section 17.