The hospital authorities said that it was a suspected case of suicide but would still wait for the Covid-19 test results before confirming the same. (Representational/file)
A 35-year-old suspected Covid-19 patient died at the Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad (SSG) Hospital in Vadodara after he allegedly inflicted wounds on himself with broken glass pieces.
The incident happened around 10 am in the lavatory of the isolation ward at the hospital. The medical staff present in the ward had forced open the door of the lavatory when the patient stopped responding to calls, to find him severely wounded. He died while undergoing treatment.
The hospital authorities said that it was a suspected case of suicide but would still wait for the Covid-19 test results before confirming the same.
“The cause of death is unknown since the Covid test results are awaited, but he was admitted in our isolation ward and his nasal swab samples for Covid testing were collected. Before we could get the test results, he attempted suicide. In the lavatory he tried to break the window pane and wounded himself from the glass pieces. There was heavy blood loss and subsequently he died. We have given this preliminary information to the police as well,” said Dr Rajeev Daveshwar, Medical Superintendent, SSG hospital.
In charge at the forensic department of the SSG hospital, Dr Sunil Bhatt, who also conducts all the post-mortems, confirmed to this newspaper that the patient died of heavy blood loss and not due to any other illness. “This is a clear case of suicide. He had deep wounds on his stomach which led to heavy blood loss. Irrespective of his Covid reports, he died by suicide. There is no suspicion about any other cause of death in this case. Our final reports will state the same,” Dr Bhatt said.
No case of accidental death was registered at the Raopura police station as the police awaited intimation from the hospital on the cause of death. A station entry (janva jog) has been made. Assistant Commissioner of Police, C Division, Megha Tewar said, “There is no confirmation on the cause of death yet as the post-mortem is awaited. We were informed that he was unwell. However, we will go ahead with the punchnama and based on evidences if this appears to be a case of suicide we will file a case of accidental death.”
The patient, a native of Handod village in Karjan, was admitted in the isolation ward of SSG hospital after complaining of severe breathlessness on Wednesday. His family has been waiting at the SSG hospital since morning to claim the body as his results are still awaited. The body will be handed over to the family only if the patient tests negative, medical officials said.
The patient’s younger brother who has been waiting at the hospital said, “Two days ago, he had started feeling feverish. We had asked him to consult a doctor but he refused. Yesterday (Wednesday) when he returned from the farm at noon, he complained of severe breathlessness. We had immediately rushed him to the health centre in Karjan from where they referred us to SSG.”
“Today morning we received a call that he had injured himself. When we reached here, he was alive but severely wounded. We were informed that he had wounded himself while trying to break a window pane. He died later. But we are still waiting to claim the body as his test results are awaited,” the brother told this newspaper.
On being asked about what could be the reason behind him taking the extreme step, he said, “There was no other issue but he was scared of the virus and what it could do to him, which is why he would refrain from consulting a doctor. We took him to the doctor only when his condition deteriorated, but we did not expect that he would do anything of this kind.”
The patient worked as a contractual farm labourer in Karjan and lived with his brothers. His wife had died 15 years ago immediately after giving birth to a still-born child due to complications during childbirth.