Upon application to the department by a parent, spouse, next of kin, or guardian or by an agency of another state in which the patient is hospitalized, a patient shall be eligible to be hospitalized in the State of Georgia if found by the department to be a legal resident of this state. The department shall designate a hospital to which such patient is to be transported at no expense to the State of Georgia. The superintendent of such hospital and the next of kin or guardian of the patient shall be notified of this action. The chief medical officer shall be authorized to hospitalize the patient for a period not to exceed five days unless prior to the expiration of such period the patient shall have voluntarily agreed to hospitalization or involuntary proceedings shall have been instituted under this chapter. After a thorough physical and mental examination has been made by the medical staff of such hospital, the chief medical officer of the hospital or his designee is authorized to sign an application for involuntary hospitalization if necessary. Such application shall be forwarded to the court of the county in which that hospital is located for action pursuant to the provisions of this chapter relative thereto.