At the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Nair Hospital. (Express Photo/File)
Coronavirus (COVID-19): A 29-year-old woman who had tested positive for coronavirus allegedly committed suicide at Nair hospital on Wednesday. The police said she hanged herself with a dupatta in the bathroom of ward number 25.
In last one week, this is the third suicide in the state due to COVID-19. According to the police, the woman from Worli was admitted on Monday with breathing problems. Doctors said she also suffered from lung disease and showed symptoms of coronavirus. Her nasal and throat swab were taken for tests and it came positive on Tuesday.
The police said the woman went to the washroom on Wednesday and, after she did not return or respond to hospital staffers, they broke open the door at 3.45 am, but found her hanging. Senior inspector Savlaram Agwane of Agripada police station said, “We have learnt that she was suffering from asthma. We believe she was scared after her results came positive.”
When contacted, Nair hospital Dean Dr R N Bharmal said, “Her condition was stable. Staffers are in personal protective equipment and don’t talk much to patients. We do not know what went wrong in her case.”
The police are in the process of recording the statements of hospital staffers and other patients present in the ward at the time.
In another instance last week, a 30-year-old Tablighi Jamaat member, who hailed from Nagaon in Assam, killed himself in a hospital in Akola. He had travelled to Akola last month with a group of Jamaat members after attending a religious congregation in New Delhi between March 6 and 8.
In Nashik, a 31-year-old man hanged himself after suspecting that he was infected with COVID-19. The man, a plumber, had a throat infection. On April 11, fearing that he had COVID-19, he hanged himself.
In view of increasing psychological issues linked to COVID-19, BMC said it has come up with a helpline ‘Hitgunj’ (022-24131212). Dr Kamakshi Bhate from community medicine department of BMC said KEM hospital and IIT too are providing counselling to people during the lockdown but a dedicated service for COVID-19 patients is yet to start.
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