Two patients were allegedly murdered by another patient in the early hours of Thursday at the government-run Regional Mental Hospital at Yerawada. He later told the doctors that he killed them because they tried to snatch his blanket.
The alleged murderer suffers from psychosis, while the deceased were schizophrenic patients. The hospital authorities claimed that the reason behind the killing was “sudden excitement” of the patient.
The incident took place at 12.30 am at Observation Ward (OW), where newly admitted patients are lodged. After examination by the doctors, the patients are to be shifted to specific wards for treatment.
Senior psychiatrist Dr Madhumita Bahaley, the acting superintendent, told dna, “The killer patient was admitted on November 13, while the two victims were admitted on November 12 and 19. All the patients were kept in the OW. As per the procedure, our doctors checked the patients and then they were lodged at the ward. On Wednesday, our three staffers including brother and nurse were on night duty. Around 12.30 am, our staffer went for night checking. He spotted a patient who was awake and so he made inquiries. The patient told him that he had murdered two patients who were snatching his blanket.”
The staffer immediately informed other staffers and doctors. Two doctors rushed to the ward and found that the two patients were dead.
Senior police inspector Kishor Jadhav of Yerawada police station said, “We have questioned the patient and he told us that he had banged one of the patient’s head against the wall, while the other was strangled. We have lodged a case of murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.”
Kin allege negligence by hospital
One of the deceased was a resident of Palace View Housing Society in Kalyaninagar and a real estate agent by profession. He was suffering from a mental disorder and was undergoing treatment at Poona Hospital. He was married and is survived by two children. His daughter is a teacher. He was admitted to the mental hospital on November 19.
The deceased’s brother-in-law told dna, “This is shocking for us and we came to know about it on Thursday morning. There is clear-cut negligence on the part of the hospital. Altogether there were 28 inmates in the room, none are aware of the incident. The night duty staffers claim there was no noise when this incident took place. How can they be careless? The police must also file a negligence case against the hospital authorities.”
Another deceased was 28 years old and a resident of Satara. The deceased’s younger brother, who is a government employee working with the state agriculture department told dna, “My brother was suffering from a mental ailment since childhood. In 1997, we had got him admitted to the mental hospital and after treatment for a year, he was discharged. But this year again he started showing signs of a mental ailment and my parents lodged him in the hospital on November 12. He did not have a habit of getting into fights.”
Only 3 staffers to take care of 1,830 patients at night
The murder of the two patients at the Regional Mental Hospital, Yerawada has once again brought to the fore the issue of poor security at the hospital, one of the biggest in Asia. Only three staffers are assigned to take care of 1,830 patients at night at the hospital. Moreover, most of the time the staffers prefer to stay in their wards at night.
The hospital is the biggest government-run hospital in Asia. According to statistics of the hospital, 1,830 patients are presently taking treatment and some of them have been residing there for over 20 years. The hospital has a capacity of 2,500 patients.
According to hospital staffers and doctors, there were five to six incidents in a month where patients attack doctors, staffers and psychiatrists. The hospital does not have adequate staff and the proposal in this regard has been pending with government for the last couple of months.
Senior psychiatrist Madhumita Bahale, who has additional charge of superintendent of the hospital, told dna, “There have been a couple of incidents where patients attack the doctors, staffers and psychiatrists. As many as five to six such incidents are recorded in a month. We immediately shift such patients to other wards so that they do not trouble other patients.” Sources from the hospital told dna, “Due to the staff crunch, some patients are doing jobs in the hospital. Sweeping, serving meals and water and small works of the ward are done by the patients themselves.”
Psychiatrist attacked
Two days before the murders, senior psychiatrist Madhumita Bahale was attacked by a patient. Bahale told dna, “I had gone to check the patient. All of a sudden he snatched my chain. There were other staffers who intervened and calmed the patient.”
A senior doctor from the hospital, on condition of anonymity, told dna, “The government should allocate more staff to the hospital as number of patients is increasing. We have been working in very tough situations. If the government provides adequate staff, we can allocate some staffers for security as well, so doctors do not work in fear.”
Delay in informing cops
The Regional Mental Hospital, Yerawada authorities did not immediately inform the Yerawada police about the murders. Initially, they informed the police that two patients had died in the observation ward of the hospital, that too a good four hours after the incident. The hospital authorities claimed they took time due to the procedure. Senior PI Jadhav said, “Initially, the hospital’s clerk had given us a letter, but they did not mention the murders.”
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