Hours before testing negative, Covid -19 patient dies by suicide at AIIMS-Patna

Barely a couple of hours before testing negative, a 38-year-old Covid-19 patient died by suicide at Patna’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Monday evening, doctors said.

“The patient was admitted to the AIIMS on June 15, and had tested positive for the virus. He, however, tested negative during the repeat test done on Monday, hours before his death,” said Dr Sanjeev

Kumar, Covid-19 nodal officer at AIIMS-Patna.

“The patient was undergoing treatment in the isolation ward. He, however, went inside an adjoining room and locked himself before ending his life,” said Dr Kumar.

“The police have taken the body into custody,” he said.

Efforts to reach additional director general of police (headquarters), Bihar, Jitendra Kumar, proved futile as he did not respond to phone calls or text message.

This is the first reported case of a Covid-19 patient ending his life in this manner while undergoing treatment at a government facility in Bihar.

Dr Kumar said the patient was diabetic and had recently returned from Delhi.

“After testing negative, he was likely to have been discharged tomorrow,” he said.

Bihar reported 143 new cases on Monday, taking the cumulative tally to 7,808, with 52 deaths so far of people infected by Sars-CoV-2.

Among those testing positive for the virus from Patna on Monday were five doctors, an MBBS intern and a nurse from the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), besides a doctor was from another private health facility in Patna.

Cases were reported from 24 districts of Bihar on Monday with Madhubani reporting the highest number at 23.

According to a government statement, Patna district has the highest cumulative Covid-19 cases with 426, followed by Madhubani (375), Bhagalpur (367), Begusarai (347) and Siwan (324).