The OPD or Out Patient Department of Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences Dharwad provides need based services to the patients attending the institute. The OPD is usually the first point of contact of a person seeking the services of the institute. The Outpatient department of the institute too is no exception to it. Over the years, the department has been catering to the mental health needs of patients of the entire South India region. The average daily OPD attendance in the Year 2019, 2020 and 2021 was around 76,395, 54,412 and 60,723 respectively. Services and Departments available-Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatric Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Neurology Anesthesia and Radiology. Besides these, the OPD also has a Pharmacy, dispensing a wide range of Psychotropic medications free of cost to the patients availing treatment from the Institute. There is also a laboratory sample collection room available in the OPD for laboratory investigations of the patients attending the OPD. The OPD complex also lodges the Medical Records Section of the institute.
Specialty Clinic: There is a separate Neurology clinic running on Tuesday, Friday from 9.00 AM to 4.00 PM.
Timings: The OPD services are available Six days a week from Monday to Saturday with registration timings from 9.00 AM to 4.00 PM. The OPD remains closed on the three National Holidays (Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti).
Registration: The registration process for the OPD is available from 9.00 AM to 3.30 PM on working days in designated registration counter at the OPD. Registration is mandatory on every visit for any Consultation at the OPD. There are separate registration desks for New and Old Registration that is, for patients visiting for the first time and patient coming on subsequent visits, respectively. The OPD Registration, Admission and Discharge procedure has also been started through e-Hospital since 12th June, 2018.Now the Patient can register online through the web portal "https://ors.gov.in"
Infrastructure: The current OPD is located in the ground floor of the present hospital building spread over a huge floor area of the building. Besides separate space and rooms for the various staffs of the institute, the OPD has a spacious waiting area for the patients and their attendants, vehicle parking space, drinking water and toilet facility.
Process of Registration & Evaluation
When the patient first visits the outpatient services, he/she has to get registered at the registration counter situated on the ground floor near the main gate of the OPD building. There is 60rs charge for registration. Once registered, a registration card bearing the Unique Health Identification Number (UHID) is issued to the patient. Further, necessary personal and socio-demographic details are noted during the registration process.Once done with the registration, a detailed work up/assessment is done by a junior doctor using a structured format during which the details about the patient’s illness is collected, documented and then discussed with the senior doctor for appropriate management and treatment. The entire process of the first visit takes approximately 2 -3 hours. The patient who has been advised psychological management has to visit another block (Psychosocial Unit) which is few minutes away from the OPD main building where the required treatment would be initiated.
Process of Follow Up
The follow up visits should be on the unit days as mentioned on the registration card. However, the patients can choose to visit on any other day in matters of emergency. For the patients having a follow up visit at the Institute, the process is similar to the first visit where they have to proceed to the registration counter with the previous registration details. A token number is received and the list of names is displayed on the computer. The patients and their guardians need to wait outside the designated rooms for further consultation. Those who are advised subsequent outpatient treatment need to follow the same process as mentioned above during each visit and those needing inpatient treatment need to follow the process as described below.
Process of Inpatient treatment
Once advised inpatient treatment within the hospital, the patient has to report in Room No. 16 (Admission Corner) situated on the ground floor near the main gate of the OPD building. The patient has to follow the advice given in Room No.2 and deposit the money at the cash counter for inpatient treatment.
Emergency Services
The hospital has 24 hour emergency services for patients who are mentally ill. There are 20 beds (10 males, 10 females), and the services are provided free, apart from the cost of medicines and food which has to be borne by the guardians accompanying the patient. The guardians are required to stay with the patient till their stay in emergency ward. The patient may be either discharged, referred to a medical facility or admitted to the inpatient wards depending on his/her condition. In O.P.D., there is also a facility for 24-hour telephonic help line services. The on-duty nurses and trained doctors attend the call and gives valuable advice to the people who are in need of help.
