CAIRO: The People's Assembly's (PA) legislative committee approved the psychological health law which will be discussed in parliament over the next few weeks. The PA's health committee recently finalized the controversial draft law on which MPs disagreed over two main points: the first of which is the proper definition of a psychiatric patient and the conditions under which a person can be forcefully admitted to a psychiatric health institution. Hamdy El-Sayyed, chairman of the PA's health committee and the Doctors' Syndicate, said that the committee agreed to include mental illnesses within the definition of psychological illnesses "although there is a global attempt to separate both definitions. He further explained that mental and psychological illnesses were merged in the draft law because the criminal law contains articles pertaining to crimes committed by "mental patients only. Controversy also surrounded Article 14 of the draft law, El-Sayyed said, that allows any doctor, regardless of his specialization, to forcefully admit patients into mental institutions. The article also allows family members and police officers to admit patients against their will. However, El-Sayyed assured that this article will only be implemented in extreme cases. The law stipulates that the patient in question be examined by more than one doctor as well as two special committees who should unanimously agree that the patient is in a psychological state that requires hospitalization and poses a threat to himself and others. He explained that the law makes a clear distinction between "voluntary and obligatory admission to mental institutions. People can voluntarily admit themselves into a mental institution, saying they cannot function properly within their community, El-Sayyed said. "The new psychological health law is drafted to maintain patients' rights, and not to increase their suffering, El-Sayyed concluded.
