Mentally ill man dies after falling from JB hospital building, police rule out foul play
JOHOR BARU, Nov 7 — A 22-year-old man with a history of mental illness fell from the sixth floor of the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) building here yesterday.
The man, who was earlier waiting to be discharged, was rushed to the hospital’s emergency ward but was pronounced dead from severe head and body injuries.
The victim was admitted to the hospital on Sunday for elective surgery on his right knee. However, the surgery was postponed to another date because the patient had a respiratory tract infection.
Johor Health Director Dr Mohtar Pungut Ahmad said prior to the incident, the patient did not show any signs of depression or psychiatric symptoms during his stay in HSI and was allowed to be discharged at 5.05pm yesterday.
“While waiting for the discharge process, the patient and his relatives were waiting in front of the ward.
“However the patient had walked alone to the sixth level without his family members noticing. At 5.20pm witnesses saw the patient standing on the ledge of the building structure on the sixth level before he jumped down,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Mohtar said the patient was immediately attended to and given emergency aid by medical officers and the paramedic team.
He said the patient was rushed to the hospital’s Emergency and Trauma Department for further treatment.
“The patient received emergency treatment in the red zone but could not be saved,” he said, adding that HSI’s management expressed their condolences to the deceased family and called on the public to refrain from speculating on the incident.
Meanwhile, Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased was a mentally disabled person card holder.
“The deceased is believed to have jumped from the sixth floor of the hospital’s building and died at the scene,” he said in a separate statement earlier today.
Raub said police investigations did not reveal any elements of foul play and the case has been classified under sudden death report (SDR).
Late yesterday, several videos and pictures of the incident were shared on Facebook.
The video featured the victim standing on the ledge of HSI’s sixth-floor ledge before he fell.
*If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia. There are also free hotlines for young people: Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am); Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); and Jakim’s Family, Social and Community Care Centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214).
