Medical Treatment and Supervision Act since 2003
The official name of the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act is ‘ Act on Medical Care and Treatment for Insane or Quasi-Insane Persons Who Have Caused Serious Incidents’. This act was approved in July 2003 and came into force in July 2005.
The act deals with those who have caused serious harm to others while in a state of non compos mentis. or feeble-mindedness, and to support and promote their reintegration into society.
The act details the following:
- procedures to determine inpatient or outpatient care and discharge from hospital.
- guidelines for thorough and specialized care
- systems to provide necessary treatment and care in the community.
Forensic Ward
This is a specialist ward providing care based on the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act. This two-story building has 33 beds (including three spare beds) and benefits from the verdant surroundings of Matsuzawa Hospital, with its ample natural light and fresh air. Entrances are equipped with double-entry doors with an electric lock, monitored by security guards 24 hours, to achieve safety and security as stated in the national guideline. There are two to three times the number of doctors, nurses, clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers and occupational therapists, compared to usual psychiatric wads. Various programmes to help patients reintegrate into society are provides by multidisciplinary teams.
