Outpatient Services psychiatry

Registration for first contact

TIMINGS: 8 am to 11.30 am

There are several ways you can see a doctor or any mental health professional in the NIMHANS Psychiatry Outpatient Department

1.Directly as a Walk-In Patient

2.Referred by another hospital or health professional

3.Referral to a particular doctor

4.Have an Online Appointment

Directly as a Walk-in Patient to Psychiatry

Patients coming directly for the first time are registered at the Screening block in the Outpatient Department between 8.00 am and 11.30 am from Monday to Saturday. Please come at 8.30 am and get a screening slip made [pay Rs.20.00]. If you mention that you want to be seen by a psychiatrist, you will be sent directly to the doctor. If you are not sure whether it is a psychiatric or neurological problem, you can be screened by a medical officer who will send you to the appropriate specialist. Once you see the Psychiatrist, an initial screening will be done and depending on the nature of the problem we will either send you to the Main OPD F-15 in the first floor for a detailed evaluation on the same day or do an initial assessment and start treatment and call you after a few weeks for a detailed assessment with an appointment.

Referred by a doctor or another health professional

Patients referred by doctors get preference in the Screening block. There is a special counter for patients with a referral letter. Please come at 8.30 am and show the referral letter to the Referral Counter and get a screening slip made [pay Rs.20.00]. A Psychiatrist will do an initial screening and depending on the nature of the problem will either send you to the Main OPD F-15 in the first floor for a detailed evaluation on the same day or do an initial assessment and start treatment and call you after a few weeks for a detailed assessment with an appointment.

Referred to a particular doctor

Please ensure that you come on the appropriate day as given below and follow the above procedures.

Please come at 8.30 am and show the referral letter to the Referral Counter and get a screening slip made [pay Rs.20.00]. You will then be sent to the psychiatrist whom you have been referred to.

Have an Online Appointment

Online appointments are available from the Patient Online Appointment Portal

NIMHANS provides online appointment facility to patients who are visiting the hospital for the first time.

• The patient should have a valid mobile number.
• One appointment only per day is provided for a mobile number. This is done to avoid any misuse of this facility.
• Registration Fee is Rs.20 which should be paid at Counter No 3, Hall No 2, Screening Block, OPD, NIMHANS.
• The patient has to come at the given date and time only. If the patient fails to come on that day and time, the appointment will be cancelled and a fresh appointment needs to be taken.
• Online registered patients should report to Counter No. 3, Hall No 2, Screening Block, OPD at NIMHANS and produce their online appointment printout or SMS message. In case they are carrying referral letter to Neurologist or Neurosurgeon or Psychiatrist or Child Psychiatrist the same should be produced at Counter No. 3.
• The appointment is available for a period of one month excluding Sundays and OPD Closed Holidays.
• Please carry the valid Identity Card mentioned during the time of registration in case you are not able to show the SMS or you do not have the printout of the Appointment Slip. ***

DETAILS ABOUT UNITS AND CONSULTANTS

Patients coming to NIMHANS for follow-up visits should ensure that they come on the particular Unit’s follow-up day (Unit I – Monday, Unit II – Tuesday, Unit III – Wednesday, Unit IV – Thursday, Unit V – Friday, Unit VI – Saturday). F 14 Follow-up OPD is located on First Floor of OPD Complex.

Special Psychiatry Services

Appointments for assessment and evaluation

1.People requiring a detailed assessment and evaluation are called again on a suitable day (usually if one is seen on a Monday for example, he/she will be called again on a Monday to meet the same team of doctors).

2.During assessment the history will be collected by a junior resident/ trainee and subsequently you will have your consultation with the senior doctor (either a senior resident or a consultant). Please remember that psychiatry assessments usually involve time. This process usually takes about an hour and a half at least.

3.During the comprehensive assessment, depending on the number of assessments and your time of arrival, please expect a waiting time of at least half an hour to one hour at the least.

4.After having the consultation, treatment and follow up with the same treating team/ unit that had seen you will be advised.

5.A hospital file in your/ your relative’s name will be made. This file is meant to record illness and treatment details. You will be provided with a hospital card that bears your name, your hospital id number, the unit in which you sought treatment and your date of the next follow up (for more on follow up, see below).

Geriatric Counter (for elderly >60 years)

1.A separate counter is available for the elderly above 60 years. This facility is available both in the Screening counter and Follow up OPD.

2.Patients above 60 years of age are seen earlier and are have separate seating.

3.If you (the patient) are above 60 years of age, please inform the person at the counter and they will help you.

Pregnant women and those with young children

We are committed to giving preference to pregnant women and those with young children. Please inform the person at the counter in the OPD and they will help you to meet the doctor early. If you want to be seen by the Perinatal Psychiatry Team please come on Friday (http://www.perinatalpsynimhans.org/)

Psychiatry OPD Schedule

Follow up OPD (F-14 in the first floor of OPD)

TIMINGS: 9 am till last patient is seen

1.Most psychiatric consultations require regular follow up with your treating team/ doctor. Ask your doctor about the regularity of these visits and follow their advice.

2.After your/ your relative’s first consultation and detailed assessment you/ your relative will be asked to come on a specific day of the week for all of the future follow up visits. Hereafter the follow up day is fixed (for example, your follow up day may fall on a Thursday, and for all future follow visits you/ your relative should come on Thursday)

3.Patients who may require emergency care and treatment will be immediately sent to the Psychiatry short stay ward (located on the ground floor of the Psychiatry Open General Wards; next to the Emergency block of NIMHANS) any time. Emergency care and services will be provided by a psychiatrist at the Psychiatry short stay ward

4.If for any reason you/ your relative is unable to come on the specified follow up day and you come on any other days, you will be seen by a different team of doctors. You have to come again on the specified date if you need to see your primary doctor.

5.Elderly (> 60 years of age), pregnant, mothers with young children and patients on a wheelchair and non-ambulatory patients have to approach the attenders at the counter and will be seen by doctors on priority

6.On a given day, depending on the time of your/ your relative’s arrival and the crowd, your waiting time is likely to vary. It is important that you patiently wait till your turn arrives, you will be seen.

7.At the end of the follow up consultation make sure you have collected your prescription, request form for any investigation (if required) and the date for your next follow visit. Don’t forget to collect your card back on your way out.

Free medications (for psychiatry patients)

1.A few medications are available free of cost for those who are Below Poverty Line (BPL Card holders in case belonging to Karnataka state). These are given for 2 months at a time only.

2.Those who belong to states other than Karnataka need to produce an Income Certificate from their Tahsildhar and claim free drug benefits if they are eligible.

3.The free drugs will be provided after verification of documents and a fee of Rs. 100.00. You will be provided a free drug card that is valid for one year from the date of issue.

4.Please ask your doctor for free drug prescription if you are eligible for one. If you have a free drug benefit, and if the drug prescribed by the doctor is unavailable in the free drug pharmacy (on the ground floor), then you should purchase that drug from any other pharmacy.