Guyana: 70-year-old patient on suicide watch dies after jumping from hospital window 

Guyana: A 70-year-old man took his own life on Thursday afternoon after he allegedly jumped through a window of the male medical ward at the Guyana’s Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The tragic incident took place while the victim was admitted in the hospital and was under medical supervision.

According to the hospital staff, the man had been placed on suicide watch for the last two weeks before he jumped out of the window. Sources also confirm that the victim has been identified as Fazlur Yusuf.

Talking about the development, Chief Executive Officer of GPHC Robbie Rambarran told that the patient had been admitted to the male surgical unit and was being monitored by a nurse when the incident took place. He said that the nurse who was assigned to take care of him only had briefly left the room to retrieve the equipment in order to test the patient’s blood sugar when the man opened the window of the room and plunged through it.

“I know he tried to kill himself and that is what he was in the hospital for. He was actively on suicide watch in a designated room,” said Rambarran.

The CEO added that the hospital along with the Guyana Police Force have launched an internal investigation into the matter and that further details will be released after the completion of the investigation.

Notably, this the 2^nd incident of such kind to occur at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. Just last month, a 22-year-old woman died in a similar way after she jumped out of the window of the hospital. She was identified as Marrisa Eastman, a resident of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.

At the time of the incident, the female was reportedly six months pregnant and was brought to the hospital by relatives who her behaviour ‘abnormal’. A psychiatric evaluation examination was also conducted after the woman was brought to the hospital, however, there were no signs at the moment, but she jumped to her death the following day.

The incidents have left the community in shock with locals asking the GPHC to conduct thorough internal investigation and find the cause behind these.