SHIMLA: A 54-year-old woman who had tested positive for coronavirus last week allegedly killed herself at a government hospital in Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla early Wednesday, police said.
Meanwhile, her family members alleged that neglectful attitude of the hospital's medical staff drove her to suicide.
Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap has ordered a magisterial inquiry by Additional District Magistrate (Law and Order) into the incident.
A report in the matter will be submitted within 10 days, he said.
Superintendent of Police Mohit Chawla told PTI that Kamal, a resident of Chopal, was admitted to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital after she tested positive for the infection on September 18.
She hanged herself to death from an iron grill outside the COVID care ward at 12.10 am on Wednesday, the officer said.
The SP said a report from the hospital has been sought and inquest proceedings under Section 174 of CrPC have been initiated.
The post-mortem report is awaited, he said.
No immediate reaction was available from the hospital regarding the incident.
Talking to media, the victim's brother-in-law alleged that negligent behaviour of the medical staff towards coronavirus patients forced his sister-in-law to take the extreme step.
He said he talked to her daily over phone and she told him that she was not being taken care of and not even provided with water.
"We gave a water bottle to the hospital staff at 11 am for Kamal, but it reached her at 8 pm. I last talked to her at 10:30 pm on Tuesday. She was upset and disconnected the call," the relative said.
The family alleged that the victim was also not given medicines on time by the staff.
Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap said it was the responsibility of the medical superintendent of DDU hospital for making proper arrangements for COVID-19 patients.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA's 24x7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.)