What rights does psychiatric patient enjoy under Egypt's law?

CAIRO - 14 September 2023: The Psychiatric Patient Care Law specifies procedures and guarantees to protect and care for the patient, and defines the rights of the psychiatric patient. 

 

The law also stipulates that the psychiatric patient shall enjoy the following rights:

 

1. The patient shall receive due care in a safe and clean environment.

 

2. The patient's freedom should not be restricted in line with the provisions of this law.

 

3. Data about all members of the treatment team caring for the patient in the facility shall be registered. 

 

4. The patient shall not be interviewed or treated by any member of the treatment team, provided that he responds to this right within the limits of available capabilities.

 

5. The patient shall receive complete information about the diagnosis given to his condition, the proposed treatment plan, and the possible developments in his condition.

 

6. The treatment provided to the patient must be in accordance with established medical standards recognized in scientific circles.

 

7. It is necessary to obtain the approval of the Scientific Research Ethics Committee before being subjected to any clinical research.

 

8 - If the patient agrees to undergo experiments and scientific research, he must receive a full explanation of the purpose of the experiment, provided that it is prohibited to conduct experiments on patients subject to mandatory admission and treatment decisions.

 

9 - Protecting the confidentiality of information related to him and his medical file and not disclosing that information for purposes other than therapeutic purposes except in the following cases:

 

- Requesting information from a judicial authority.

 

- There is a strong possibility that serious harm or serious injury will occur to the patient or others.

 

- Cases of child abuse or suspicion of abuse.

 

- The right of the National Council for Mental Health to form a technical committee of specialized doctors who have the right to review patient records in accordance with Clause No. 4 of Article 7 of this law.

 

10 - The patient's privacy, personal belongings, and place of residence in the facility shall be protected.

 

11 - Obtaining a complete medical report on the patient's psychological condition and all the examinations and therapeutic procedures that were performed on him during his treatment in the hospital. In the event that he wishes to obtain a scan of the entire file, he may resort to the competent council for mental health. The council may withhold this right temporarily for therapeutic reasons, and he has the right to The patient may file a grievance against this procedure in accordance with the provisions of this law and its executive regulations.

 

12- The patient has the right to meet his lawyer.

 

13 - The patient shall obtain medical leave according to the treatment plan drawn up for him.

 

14 - The patient has the right to requesting to leave the facility without the accompaniment of any of his family members when the period of his mandatory admission ends after obtaining a plan to care for him psychologically after leaving, taking into account his social care.

 

15 - Protection from economic and sexual exploitation, physical and psychological abuse and degrading treatment.

 

16 - Obtaining internal and external communication services in accordance with the established treatment plan in cases of voluntary treatment:

 

a. Receive the information necessary to give express, free and informed consent to each treatment proposed by the treatment team.

 

B. He refuses the treatment offered to him, provided that he is informed of the impact of this refusal on his health.

 

C. He took his opinion on all decisions related to his treatment and discharge from the facility and obtained in writing from the facility administration his treatment and discharge plan.