Patient commits suicide at Korle-Bu

A patient on the Fifth Floor of the Surgical Ward of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra yesterday stunned colleague patients and visitors ,when he jumped to his death.

The incident attracted a large crowd who rushed to the vicinity of the ward to catch a glimpse of the remains of the victim.

The body has since been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

Speaking in an interview, the acting Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mr K Kambian, said the patient, Charles Hagan, 30, was admitted to the hospital last week Thursday with a serious abdominal pain and he underwent a laparatomy operation that very day.

Mr Kambian said Charles was responding to treatment until yesterday, when he started behaving abnormally.

He said with the help of the nurses and the patient’s mother, he was tied to his bed.

Mr Kambian said at about 6 a.m. yesterday Charles broke loose from his bed, damaged the louvre blades, stood on the safety trap and jumped from the fifth floor of the Surgical Block.

He said Charles died instantly and as a result of the cut made during the operation, his intestines gushed out and scattered around.

Asked if he had any problem or was behaving abnormally before he was admitted, Mr Kambian replied in the negative but added that Hagan had a history of alcoholism.

An internal enquiry has been set up by the hospital management to ascertain if he was given the wrong medication .

Chief Inspector C.K Fandoh of the Korle Bu Police Station confirmed the story and said the matter is being investigated.