Vidyasagar Punjab Mental Hospital, Amritsar

Mental hospital is a specialty hospital, with its patients having their special needs. broadly, the patients can be acutely disturbed and excited, or behaviourally settled. most of the patients are mobile, and, therefore, need more open space. average stay of patients in a mental hospital is usually much longer than their counterparts in other hospitals, and they frequently suffer from social stigma and face problems in rehabilitation on discharge. all these factors have been taken into consideration while planning and designing the vsimh, amritsar.

 planned on a site of 45 acres, the master plan comprises primarily two zones: the outer circle and the inner circle. the outer circle accommodates the buildings like opd-cum-diagnostic-cum-administrative block, occupational therapy/rehabilitation unit, voluntary patients’ unit, serai, shopping / cafeteria besides, services like kitchen, laundry, and stores. staff quarters have also been located in the outer circle on the eastern fringe of the campus. the inner circle having wards of different types has further been divided in two sections: the male section on the east and the female section on the west. these sections are enclosed by 6-foot- high boundary-walls with restricted entries. check-posts are provided at each entry point. each section has separate ward blocks i.e. for intermediate/improved patients, forensic unit, acute care and chronic stay. the opd-cum-administrative block is placed on the front that is the southern side while the kitchen and laundry block is placed at the back or the northern side. occupational therapy/rehabilitation unit on its east and a mini-complex of voluntary unit, shopping/café, and serai on its west flanks the opd/administrative block.