Post News Network
Cuttack, July 5: A 35-year-old patient undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments at SCB Medical College and Hospital slipped and fell to her death from the second floor of the hospital in the wee hours of Sunday.
The incident occurred at the nephrology department at around 2 am Sunday.
The woman was identified as Arati Jhatt, a resident of Karadabani village under Nihalprasad police limits in Dhenkanal district. She was admitted to the hospital with kidney-related ailments and was undergoing treatment at the nephrology department.
Mangalabag police seized the body Sunday morning and sent it for post-mortem after registering a case of unnatural death.
Doctors treating the woman said she was to be discharged in the morning.
Sources said Arati was a regular at the hospital, and was allotted bed number eight and was being treated by Prof PK Sahu. Arati was being attended to by her parents Kailash Jhatt and Laxmi.
“Though her both kidneys were damaged, she was not on dialysis and was admitted here just for a haemoglobin test. We conducted her tests Saturday, reports of which came back normal. She was to be discharged from the hospital Sunday,” said Sahu.
Arati’s parents were inconsolable as they mourned their daughter’s sudden death.
“My daughter woke up at around 2 am to go to the toilet. I went after her as I did not want her going alone in the night. But I could not find her inside the washroom and searched for her. I then looked down to see Arati lying on the ground. When we rushed to her she was already dead,” her mother Laxmi said.
A pall of gloom descended in the ward as cries of the bereaved parents for their daughter rent the air. Arati’s father later lodged a complaint with police demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter.
Sources said this is the second instance of a patient falling to death. A youth had allegedly committed suicide in February this year by jumping from atop a tree on the hospital premises.
Hospital staff said Arati committed suicide after she was unable to cope with her ailments.
SCB superintendent Pratap Rath said he has sought a report from the nephrology department in this regard.
