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request for emergency assistance can be made to the Institute for

Emergency Medical Service via its hotline number 1669. However, there is

a different perception of what constitutes a situation of emergency

between relatives of persons with mental disability and the Institute staff.

When a person with mental disability exhibits a behavior that might be

dangerous to others but no one has yet been hurt, such as when that

person is holding a knife in his hand but has not hurt anyone, such

situation is not considered an emergency by the Institute staff and thus

does not meet the criteria for transfer service. In such a case, relatives of

the person with mental disability have to arrange for a transportation to

take that person to the hospital by themselves.

51. Recommendation: The Mental Health Department should have both

treatment as well as prevention and promotion mandates similar to the

Health Department which is responsible for the physical well-being of the

people. Hospitals should admit a person with mental disability who exhibit

aggressive or uncontrollable behaviors for treatment until his or her

condition gets better. Training should be provided to relatives or caregivers

of persons with mental disability so that they know how to handle the

situation when persons under their care have turned violent and

aggressive. It should also be made clear as to which hospitals are

responsible for treatment of persons with mental disability in such a

situation. As regards medical emergency service, efforts should be made to

establish a common understanding about the situations constituting an

emergency to enhance the effectiveness of the transfer of patients with

mental disability in a timely manner and not too much burden is imposed

on the patients’ relatives. In case where a person with mental disability