Those with psychiatric conditions are hospitalised at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for treatment if they are found to be unsuitable for residence in a welfare home, said Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday. There were five such cases last year.

Dr Balakrishnan said in the last three years, the number of persons staying in MCYS' destitute welfare homes was 1,728 in 2006, 1,746 in 2007 and 1,785 in 2008.

He explained that most of the chronic psychiatric residents in welfare homes were long stay patients of IMH, who had been transferred to the welfare homes as they no longer required hospitalisation, but did not have families to return to.

Welfare homes provide basic care such as meals and accommodation, along with training and job assignments according to the residents' capabilities, Dr Balakrishnan said.

Residents can be considered for discharge if they have caregivers to take care of them, or if they are able to find jobs and live independently. Those who are not discharged would remain in the welfare homes, or be transferred to nursing homes if their medical condition deteriorates, he added.

Dr Balakrishnan said that the majority of mentally ill patients 'can and do live meaningful and productive lives in the community', and 'only a small minority' are at risk of being violent and aggressive.

For individuals with aggressive behaviour, the police are empowered to bring them for medical assessment at institutions such as IMH if they are suspected to have a mental illness.

Dr Balakrishnan, who gave these details in his written response to questions from Sembawang GRC MP Dr Lim Wee Kiak, added that residents will continue to be supervised for up to one year after discharge.