TIRUCHY: A 34-year-old patient jumped from to his death from the terrace of the new building of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) on Tuesday morning. Ganesh Murthy, who was under treatment for jaundice, died due to the impact of the fall, said doctors who tried to revive him.
“He was admitted to the hospital on 22nd November with fever and was subsequently diagnosed with jaundice and we treated him for that. He responded to the treatment well and was going to be discharged in a few days,” said Dr K Vanitha, Dean of MGMGH Tiruchy.
Ganesh was admitted in a ward on the 6th floor of the new building.
“He asked his father Nagaraj to go get some food for him at 7:30. The door to the terrace was open from where he jumped. When he fell down, we tried to revive him but unfortunately, he died,” said Dr Yeganathan, Medical Superintendent.
It is said that there were no security officials or nurses in the ward when Ganesh took the drastic step. The nurse on duty had reportedly gone to check on the pressure valve on the terrace and left the gate to the terrace open.
Dean says that no one expected Ganesh to take this step.
“We did not detect any suspicious signs of depression or suicidal thoughts. It is said he was unemployed and had recently applied for a foreign job. As he was diagnosed with Hepatitis B, his dream of going abroad was uncertain. We suspect this to be the reason behind Ganesh's extreme step, ” added Dr. Vanitha.
The incident raises questions about security at the hospital. Doctors say that this is the first such incident where a patient jumped from the terrace.
Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available at TN health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention no. 044-24640050