Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia’s Medina Psychiatric Hospital has returned a psychiatric patient after her attempt to escape from the hospital on her first day, local media reported.
A nurse and a number of passers-by chased down the patient before the security guards intervened and returned her on Tuesday.
The patient, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was taken to the hospital’s emergency department by the police at 5am with her family, and it was decided to admit her with an escort, the hospital said.
In emergency situations, a hospital can hold patients against their will if they present a grave and immediate danger to themselves or to others because of their mental state.
Can a psychiatric patient refuse emergency medical care?
Patients with psychiatric illness do not automatically lose medical decision-making capacity. Some do have difficulty understanding their illness and appreciating options for care, but most are very capable of making medical decisions and have as much of a right to refuse care as other patients.