function _consult()
 {
     static $patient;
     if (func_num_args() > 0) {
         $arg_list = func_get_args();
         $menu_id = $arg_list[0];
         $post_vars = $arg_list[1];
         $get_vars = $arg_list[2];
         $validuser = $arg_list[3];
         $isadmin = $arg_list[4];
         //print_r($arg_list);
     }
     if (!isset($patient)) {
         $patient = new patient();
     }
     // always check dependencies
     //if ($exitinfo = $this->missing_dependencies('healthcenter')) {
     //    return print($exitinfo);
     //}
     if ($get_vars["patient_id"] && $get_vars["consult_id"]) {
         print "<table>";
         print "<tr valign='top'><td>";
         $this->patient_info($menu_id, $post_vars, $get_vars);
         print "</td></tr>";
         print "</table>";
     } else {
         if ($post_vars["submitpatient"]) {
             // processes form_patient
             $patient->process_patient($menu_id, $post_vars, $get_vars);
             $this->process_consult($menu_id, $post_vars, $get_vars);
             //header("location: ".$_SERVER["PHP_SELF"]."?page=CONSULTS&menu_id=$menu_id");
         }
         if ($post_vars["submitconsult"]) {
             // confirms consult for found patients
             $this->process_consult($menu_id, $post_vars, $get_vars);
         }
         if ($post_vars["submitsearch"]) {
             // lists down search results for patient
             $patient->process_search($menu_id, $post_vars, $get_vars);
         }
         print "<table><tr valign='top'><td colspan='2'>";
         // display all patients confirmed with consults
         $this->consult_info($menu_id, $post_vars, $get_vars);
         print "</td></tr>";
         print "<tr valign='top'><td>";
         $patient->newsearch($menu_id, $post_vars, $get_vars);
         print "</td><td>";
         $patient->form_patient($menu_id, $post_vars, $get_vars);
         print "</td></tr>";
         print "</table>";
     }
 }