Article 24 of the Saudi Mental Health Law

المادة 24 من نظام الرعاية الصحية النفسية

If a compulsorily admitted patient escapes or does not return from medical leave, the facility's management coordinates with the security authorities to bring him back.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

إذا هرب من المنشأة العلاجية النفسية أحد المرضى المنومين فيها إلزاميًّا، أو لم يعد من الإجازة الطبية التي منحتها إياه المنشأة العلاجية النفسية؛ فعلى إدارة المنشأة العلاجية النفسية التنسيق مع الجهات الأمنية لإعادته إليها.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 24 explained in plain English

This Article deals with two cases that concern compulsorily admitted patients only:

Escape from the mental treatment facility.
Failure to return from the medical leave the facility gave the patient.

In both cases, the facility's management is bound to coordinate with the security authorities to bring the patient back to it.

The text makes clear that:

The provision does not cover a patient who entered voluntarily, because the text is specific to those admitted compulsorily.
The responsibility lies with the management, which takes the initiative to coordinate; the matter is not left to the patient's family alone.
The role of the security authorities here is to help return the patient to the facility.

The Article sets no time limit for notification and no detailed procedures, so nothing that does not appear in it should be assumed. It is worth noting that Article 25 punishes anyone who enables a person subject to compulsory admission or treatment to escape or helps him to do so, which is a provision about the helper and not the patient himself.

If you have a specific case, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in health regulations and patients' rights.

Practical example

A mental facility in Tabuk gave a compulsorily admitted patient two days of medical leave to visit his family, but he did not return on time. The facility's management coordinates with the security authorities to bring him back to it.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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