Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2023)

Mental Hospitals Regulations – Section 10 (Gazettes 27 May 1911, Gazettes 12 October 1912 and 5 February 1914, S. I. 15/193)

Gazette 27 May 1911 .. in force 27 May 1911

Gazettes 12 October 1912, 5 February 1914, 26 July 1930 and S.I. 15/1930

Commencement [27 May 1911]

THE HOSPITAL

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   1.   The buildings situate at La Toc, in the Quarter of Castries, formerly used as Naval and Military Ordnance Stores, and now enclosed by a wall, together with the outhouses and yards within the said wall, are hereby appointed to be a Colonial Mental Hospital as well as a mental hospital for inmates.

GENERAL

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   2.   The Hospital shall be under the direction and control of a medical officer appointed by the Governor General who shall be styled the Medical Superintendent.

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   3.   There shall be a Steward appointed by the Governor General and such number of male and female attendants and servants (hereinafter called the “Subordinate Staff”) as the Governor General may approve.

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   4.   The Steward and Subordinate Staff shall be supplied with uniform of such pattern and to such extent as the Governor General may from time to time approve.

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   5.   The following shall be official visitors and at liberty to visit the Hospital at any time, namely—

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      (a)     the Governor General;

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      (b)     the Administrator;

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      (c)     the Chief Justice and puisne judges of the High Court;

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      (d)     members of the Executive and House of Assemblies;

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      (e)     the district magistrates;

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      (f)     the Commissioner of Police.

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   6.   

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      (1)     Ministers of Religion are permitted to visit the Hospital at such times as they may desire to do so subject however to its being within the discretion of the Medical Superintendent to disallow visits at any time when he or she may consider any such visits to be inexpedient in the interest of the Institution.

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      (2)     Other persons having relatives confined in the Hospital may be allowed to visit such relatives at such times as the Medical Superintendent may permit.

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   7.   No smoking shall be allowed within the Hospital save as may be expressly sanctioned by the Medical Superintendent.

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   8.   The instructions set out in Schedule A hereto shall be strictly complied with by the Subordinate Staff.

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   9.   The diet of the inmates shall be in accordance with the scale set out in the Schedule B hereto.

DUTIES OF MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT

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   10.   The Medical Superintendent shall from time to time engage and discharge the Subordinate Staff subject to any instructions he or she may receive from the Governor General in regard thereto.

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   11.   He or she shall—

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      (a)     visit the Hospital daily seeing each inmate and issuing such directions as to the care of the inmates as he or she may think necessary;

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      (b)     note every such visit in a book to be called the Medical Superintendent's Journal;

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      (c)     visit and inspect every part of every room of the Institution at least once a week, and record in his or her Journal the result of such inspection;

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      (d)     inspect frequently the stores and food provided;

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      (e)     examine all books kept at the Hospital monthly and record the result of such examination;

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      (f)     check daily the diet and order books, and initial the same if correct;

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      (g)     certify all claims for expenditure.

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   12.   He or she shall examine every patient on admission, and enter in a book, which he or she shall keep, to be called the Admission Book, the patient's name, age, weight and sex. He or she shall note therein all material particulars of each case and of any documents which may accompany any patient on admission, and shall from time to time note any material changes in the patient's condition physical or mental. He or she shall cause every patient to be weighed as soon as practicable after admission and thereafter every 3 months, and his or her weight noted in the Admission Book, which shall be so kept as to furnish a complete history of each case from the date of admission.

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   13.   He or she shall report specially to the Governor General in the following cases—

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      (a)     whenever he or she considers any patient can with safety be discharged;

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      (b)     whenever any member of the staff is found by him or her to have been guilty of gross negligence in the performance of his or her duty or any act of cruelty.

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   14.   He or she shall have power to order any of the Subordinate Staff to pay a fine not exceeding $1.20 for any misconduct or neglect of duty. Every such fine shall be deducted from the wages of the person ordered to pay it.

THE STEWARD

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   15.   The Steward is the principal officer of the Hospital in the absence of the Medical Superintendent, and his or her directions to the Subordinate Staff are to be strictly obeyed.

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   16.   He or she shall—

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      (a)     reside at the Hospital and not be absent from duty without the permission of the Medical Superintendent;

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      (b)     report to the Medical Superintendent any misconduct or neglect of duty by any member of the Subordinate Staff;

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      (c)     visit every cell between 6 and 8 o'clock in the morning, and again at closing time for the night, and shall satisfy himself or herself that they are properly locked and secure and shall see that the cells are always in a perfect state of cleanliness, and shall superintend the bedding and clothing of the patients;

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      (d)     superintend the weighing and measuring of rations and satisfy himself or herself that the supplies from the contractors are in keeping with their contracts and of good quality;

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      (e)     be present at the distribution of rations and see that they are according to the diet scale and punctually served at the hours prescribed;

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      (f)     reject all supplies which are unsatisfactory and report the circumstances to the Medical Superintendent;

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      (g)     attend the Medical Superintendent on his or her visits and see that his or her instructions are carried out, and immediately report any circumstances affecting the health or comfort of the patients;

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      (h)     supervise the administration of all medicines prescribed by the Medical Superintendent;

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      (i)     visit all patients under restraint not less than 3 times a day;

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      (j)     endeavour to induce the patients to occupy themselves in such useful employment as may be approved of by the Medical Superintendent and try to promote cheerfulness among them.

EVIDENCE OF PAUPERISM

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   17.   A magistrate, before exercising the powers conferred on him or her by section 7(c) of the Mental Hospitals Act shall, either at the inquiry or subsequently thereto, obtain evidence of the pauperism of the person of unsound mind, and shall annex a copy of such evidence to the warrant of committal.

SCHEDULE A

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBORDINATE STAFF

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   (i)     The Subordinate Staff shall be on day duty from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; but they shall not go off duty until they hand over to the Night Staff, whose hours range from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. when they in their turn hand over to the Day Staff. The Senior Male Attendant shall see that the handing over is properly carried out.

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   (ii)     Only 2 Attendants, one male and one female, shall be allowed to leave the Hospital at the same time day or night.

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   (iii)     The Senior Female Attendant shall report immediately any unusual occurrence to the Steward, or Senior Male Attendant.

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   (iv)     During any absence of the Steward, the Senior Male Attendant shall assume control of the Hospital.

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   (v)     The Senior Female Attendant shall report to the Steward or Senior Male Attendant each night.

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   (vi)     The Senior Male Attendant shall be responsible for the cleaning of the Hospital and all drains in connection with the buildings. He must immediately report to the Steward any blockage of drains or other insanitary condition which may be observed by him.

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   (vii)     The Attendants should endeavour to suggest occupations and amusements to the patients but they must take no personal part in any such amusements without the permission of the Steward.

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   (viii)     The Attendants must show all possible kindness to the patients. Any attendant guilty of ill-treatment to patients is liable to immediate discharge.

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   (ix)     The Attendants must on all occasions call sufficient assistance to restrain unruly patients.

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   (x)     The female servants, to be styled Ward Maids shall comply with all lawful orders given in connection with their duties, by the Steward, Senior Male Attendant, Senior Female Attendant, or the Attendant on duty.

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   (xi)     The patients shall not be allowed the possession of matches. Attendants may hand them a match to light their pipes but they must see that it is used and extinguished.

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   (xii)     There must be no smoking in the dormitories.

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   (xiii)     In case of fire the Senior Attendant on duty shall immediately report to the Steward or in his or her absence telephone the Medical Superintendent, and if necessary call further assistance from the police station.

SCHEDULE B