Covid patient jumps to death from Amritsar hospital’s second floor, DC marks probe

46-year-old man from Tarn Taran succumbed to head injuries

A day after he tested positive for Covid-19, a 46-year-old man from Tarn Taran district committed suicide by jumping from a window on the second floor of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Amritsar on Monday morning.

The patient was admitted to the hospital on August 15 after he reported symptoms of coronavirus infection. On admission, his swab samples were collected and sent for testing. His reports came out to be positive on Sunday, officials said.

“A team of counsellors met Covid-19 patients on Sunday evening and noted down their details. They assured the patients of their recovery. At 7.45am on Monday morning, the patient asked police personnel and Class 4 hospital staff on duty to let him go to the washroom,” additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Himanshu Aggarwal said.

“The officials allowed him to go but he jumped out of the washroom window. He suffered head injuries and was rushed to the emergency ward. He was given treatment for 15 minutes but could not be saved,” he said.

“Previous health records of the patient reveal that he was addicted to alcohol and opium. So far, reason behind his taking the extreme step is not clear. We will talk to his family members to know if he was upset after testing positive or if there was any other reason. The patient’s body was taken for post-mortem and his last rites will be performed by his family in the presence of district administration officials,” Aggarwal added.

Soon after the incident, Amritsar deputy commissioner (DC) Gurpreet Singh Khaira marked an inquiry into the matter and asked ADC Aggarwal and GMCH principal Dr Rajiv Devgan to ascertain the reason for the suicide and find lapses on part of the hospital.

The investigation officers will start the probe from Tuesday and will submit a report. Some hospital staff claimed that the patient might have jumped off the window with a motive to escape from the hospital.