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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 16. Effect of application for admission.---(1) An application for the admission of a patient to a psychiatric facility under this Act, duly completed in accordance with the section under which he is being admitted, shall be sufficient authority for the applicant or any person authorized by the applicant, to take the patient and convey him to a psychiatric facility at any time within the following periods, that is to say:-- (a) in the case of an application made other than an emergency application within the period of 14 days beginning with the date from which the patient was last examined by an approved Psychiatrist or medical officer, as the case may be, before giving a medical recommendation for the purposes of the application; and (b) in the case of an emergency application, under section 12, the period of 24 hours beginning at the time when the patient was examined by an approved 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 Act. (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 Act by virtue of which he was detained in a psychiatric facility shall cease to have effect.