Out Patient Department (OPD)

Gate way for clinical and rehabilitation services

Out Patient Department usually known as OPD is the gate way to clinical and rehabilitation services for persons having any problems related to mental health.

Services

The case window is the doorway for a patient to avail services of Hospital for Mental Health, Ahmedabad. Once the case is issued, the patient is given a file and referred to a Psychiatric Social Worker.
The Psychiatric Social Worker mainly collects the case history in detail focusing on the social aspects and preliminary assesses the socio- economic and familial factors relevant to the patient who is accompanied by the relative or care taker. In case of a wandering patient, s/he initiates a process to locate the family and initiates relevant legal procedures. S/he refers the patient to a Clinical Psychologist.
The Clinical Psychologist further adds on to the case history especially from the psychological aspects i.e. type of disorder of the patient based on the initial exhibited symptoms. S/he also simultaneously starts need based counselling of patient and his/her family members. The patient is then referred to the Medical Officer.
According to the patient’s need, tests and medicine is prescribed by the Medical Officer for common physical complaints and patient is then further referred to the Psychiatrist for psychiatric evaluation.
The psychiatrist reviews preliminary case history and diagnosis and decides a treatment plan that is to be followed as well as advises the patient/ family members to admit the patient in the hospital ward or let the patient continue as an OPD patient.
In the laboratory of HMH Ahmedabad routine tests are conducted free of cost for all the patients. For specific type of tests, there is a MoU with diagnostic clinics.
The patient is provided with oral/ injecting drug as per the prescription of medical officer/ psychiatrist and is explained about the regime