A 55-YEAR-OLD patient at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City died after he jumped from the third floor of the hospital at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 11, 2024.
The patient, Ben (real name withheld), was a resident of Cebu Province and had a history of mental illness.
He was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday, April 9 due to a pancreatic tail mass, probably malignant, according to VSMMC. He was staying in a room on the third floor of the SP Building with one caretaker.
The victim’s wife said her husband was scheduled for surgery. Before the incident, she observed that her husband seemed agitated, which was unusual as he was typically calm.
Due to this concern, the wife said they sought a consultation with a psychiatrist to understand the cause of his agitation.
However, on Thursday morning, shortly after leaving Ben in the ward to use the restroom, Maria returned to find him missing from his bed.
Looking out the window, she saw her husband lying on the ground floor. The hospital confirmed in a statement that the patient had jumped from the window.
Ben was rushed to the emergency room where doctors attempted to revive him.
He was declared dead at 10:46 a.m.
The wife said her husband had been battling depression. He previously attempted to end his life 17 years ago due to problems involving
heir daughter.
The Abellana Police Station is investigating the incident to determine if there was any foul play involved.
The VSMMC, in a statement, said it is looking into the incident. It urged the public to respect the privacy and welfare of the family.
“We urge the public to maintain the support and prayers for all patients who are continuously fighting for their health conditions,” the VSMMC said. / AYB, WBS