Drug Dependent Persons (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act No 54 of 2007

Based on the request made by the Police Department and Magistrate Court, Colombo, NIMH is required to provide a report regarding Drug Dependent Persons to the Consultant Judicial Medical Officer which will be submitted to the courts. Based on the report the Magistrate is empowered to send the person for compulsory rehabilitation at a government institute.

These clients will be brought to NIMH by the Police with a letter from the Consultant Judicial Medical Officer to the OPD. (Only on Tuesdays)

The clients should be reviewed by the On Call Medical Officer/ Registrar as per the usual roster of the OPD on area basis and the assessment should be made as an outpatient in consultation with the relevant Consultant/ Senior Registrar. The special formats developed for this purpose should be used to conduct the assessment and the report should also be issued based on the attached format.

The clinical team can decide on the course of action based on the status of the client. If further information/ tests are required that can be mentioned in the said report and a reassessment date can be given to bring back the patient to NIMH.

These clients should be registered as outpatients on an RC number at the OPD. OPD staff should file and record the request form issued by the JMO, the assessment form and a carbon copy of the issued report with the relevant RC number. These records should be kept as confidential reports.

This activity should be carried out as a fiduciary act as part of the civil medico – legal responsibilities of NIMH.