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Medical Emergencies can happen without any prior indication. There are different types of medical emergencies. Among them is a Psychiatric emergency which is equally challenging and complex.  While it can lead to lot of stress, a well-managed 24/7 emergency medical retrieval service can relax you to no end. 

Before we get into 24/7 Emergency Retrieval Service, let us begin by briefly understanding what a psychiatric emergency is all about.

Psychiatric Emergency
A psychiatric emergency can significantly impact an individual’s ability to think.  If immediate action is not initiated, it can well lead to the patient taking drastic decisions in life. 

Treating a psychiatric emergency requires intense focus and a close understanding of the patient as situations can turn challenging at any moment. This is where a professionally delivered 24/7 emergency medical service can make a huge difference.

Understanding an emergency retrieval service
A 24/7 emergency retrieval service is a crucial service aimed at providing immediate medical assistance and transportation to bring in a patient from the place of psychiatric emergency impact to a safety zone. The team includes well-trained and experienced doctors, nursing teams and para medical staff. Supported by well-quipped emergency equipment and transport facility including ambulances, helicopters or air ambulance, this service,

• Ensures the safety of the patient
• Has a calming effect on the anxious family members
• Ensures the safety of others residing within the locality

How does it work?
Psychiatric Hospitals well-equipped with adequate infrastructure to deal with psychiatric emergencies adopt a safe, systematic, professional and empathetic approach through emergency retrieval services.

• The admissions are carried out strictly adhering to a legal framework as per the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 which ensures that patients who are violent and under severe mental ill health are safely transported to see a psychiatrist at the nearest psychiatric hospital.
• The process begins at the reception desk where distress calls seeking assistance are received from the family member of the patient.
• The representative at the reception desk records all the demographic data of the patient including residential address and verifies his/her identity through valid photo-identity documents. 
• If the patient has suffered a psychiatric attack at a place other than his residence, then the address of that place along with the details of the caller with his phone number is recorded.
• The family member is comforted on phone and all support is extended in a very empathetic way.
• The patient is then directed to the consultant who records all the clinical information including past medical history. 
• Since the patient needs to be picked up from his residence, the consultant makes sure that he fulfills all the criteria enlisted under Mental Healthcare Act 2017. 
• Consent has to be sought from the family members under the criteria, “Application to be admitted under high support needs” to physically shift the patient from his residence to the hospital.
• After approving the correctness of the information, the consultant directs the Retrieval team Nurse to make necessary arrangements. 
• If it is a female patient then adequate female support staff is added to the team.
• On reaching the patient’s residence, a request is made to the patient’s family to enter the residence.  
• If the patient is not accessible, the family members are requested to contact the nearest police station and seek their assistance in supporting the patient to be taken to the hospital under hospital staff guidance.
• Before shifting the patient to the hospital, the staff will speak to the patient in a caring way.  
• As per law, the patient has to be assessed for any mental illness and a confirmed report has to generated within 72 hours of the patient arriving at the hospital. 
• This information is shared with the patient and his family. 
• If there is no evidence of any mental illness the patient is discharged.
• If the patient is highly unstable then he is taken into the psychiatric intensive care unit and some medications as per Mental Healthcare Act is administered to stabilize him.
• The 24/7 emergency retrieval service is a transparent process and is periodically monitored and assessed for performance by officials from the Government Mental Health Review Board.

Significance of Emergency Retrieval service
A 24/7 medical emergency retrieval service comes with numerous advantages. 

• Ensures patients in distress receive immediate medical attention 
• Helps in systematically handling complex medical conditions like psychiatric emergency.
• Can build up the much-needed confidence in a patient in distress and boost his morale.
• Helps in overcoming potential life-threatening situations.

Psychiatric emergencies are serious situations that require immediate attention and should never be ignored. Hence, if you or your loved one is in need of immediate help and wondering, “which is the best Emergency Psychiatric Hospital Near Me”, walk in straight to MaargaMindcare which has a mix of clinical expertise and brilliance backed by a history of having treated thousands of patients with psychiatric issues successfully.