Suicide attempt at hospital

A 21-year-old girl suffering from high fever, who was admitted to the Inlaks Hospital in Chembur on Thursday, tried to commit suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of the six-storeyed hospital on Friday morning.

However, she survived the suicide attempt as she first crashed through an asbestos roof before hitting the ground. Manjit Kaur is reportedto have been unwell for the past month-and-a-half month.

The incident occurred an hour after Bachan had left the hospital to go home. He had asked his wife Arjit, 58, to look after Manjit while he was gone.

In her statement to the police, Arjit said her daughter had woken up at 8.30am and asked to be taken to the toilet. After coming out of the toilet, Manjit rushed to a window and jumped.

A shattered Arjit, unable to accept what had happened, rushed to her Chembur home to inform Bachan.

“First, we thought she had died. When we reached the hospital we learnt that a passer-by had seen our daughter falling and called the attention of the hospital staff,” said Bachan.

The girl’s family was unhappy with the hospital’s security arrangements. Manjit’s cousin brother Paramjeet Gade said,

“This has been the third case where patients have attempted to commit suicide at the hospital. My sister is lucky to have survived.”

Hospital consulting physician Gurmit Singh dismissed Paramjeet’s claim. However, he did admit to a
similar incident occurring at the hospital four months ago.

“Manjit’s temperature may have gone up on Friday. She could have become a little delirious and not known what she was doing when she jumped from the building ,” said Singh.

He said that Manjit was not suffering from any mental illness. “Her suicide attempt may be a reaction to the fever,” he said.

Police are looking at all possible angles. “We have asked the hospital staff to provide a report about the
incident,” said Police Sub-Inspector G Arun of the Chembur police.