Responsibilities of Type A Mental Hospitals for EscapedPsychiatric Patients During the COVID- 19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study aims to determine the form of responsibility for a mental hospital type A if a patient with a mental
disorder (psychiatric patient) escaped from the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Outpatients and
inpatients with a mental disorder can escape from the hospital because they have disturbed-awareness. The
pandemic conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic are hazardous to contract both patients and doctors, and
health workers. There are some problems related to the burden of responsibility to the hospital or inpatient
staff to psychiatric patients who escape from the hospital. The study concludes that the responsibility for
psychiatric patients who escaped from the hospital includes three parties: the head of the hospital, the
attending physician, and the health workers such as nurses.