Delhi: Suspected coronavirus patient taken for tests dies by suicide at Safdarjung Hospital
The 35-year-old man, who had returned from Sydney, jumped off the seventh floor of the hospital.
A man suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus died after he jumped off the seventh floor of Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Wednesday, reported PTI, citing the police. The number of cases in India rose to 166, of whom 14 have been cured and three have died, says the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation at 8 pm to talk about the measures being taken to fight the pandemic.
“The nodal officer informed us about the 35-year-old man who was brought from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport as a suspected coronavirus patient,” the Delhi Police said in a statement. “He was admitted today [Wednesday] at about 9 pm. He committed suicide today by jumping off the Super Speciality Block building.”
Preliminary investigation revealed that the man was originally from Punjab, and was staying in Sydney for the past one year. He had travelled to Delhi on an Air India flight. His samples were sent for testing for coronavirus.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Devender Arya said the man had complained of a headache when he was brought to the hospital, reported The Indian Express.
“Patient reached around 9 pm and was taken to the seventh floor for admission and evaluation,” the Union health ministry said in a statement. “When doctors reached the room, he wasn’t inside. At the same time, another doctor coming out of the building observed a body on the floor around 9.15 pm.”
The man’s family, who received him at the airport, were at Safdarjung Hospital. His autopsy is likely to be performed on Thursday.
Safdarjung Hospital and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital have been the two main facilities where those arriving in the country are being tested. In Delhi, 12 people in total tested positive for coronavirus so far with one of them being a foreign national. This includes two people who recovered from the disease, and the 68-year-old woman who died after testing positive.