Coast General Hospital issues statement after death of patient
Reports indicated that the deceased committed the act using curtain laces and his bed to end his life after those in the ward with him said he was unable to raise the medical bill.
The Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) now claims a patient who died by suicide at their facility had a mental illness and was on psychotherapy support as he was receiving treatment for septic arthritis.
CGTRH claimed that despite the efforts of their medical team, the patient allegedly took actions that led to his death.
It dismissed reports that the patient who was homeless had not been discharged and that there was a huge bill that he was expected to pay.
“The individual in question was a homeless member of the community who was admitted to our facility for the treatment of septic arthritis. He was progressing well under medical care and had not yet been discharged from the hospital. He had a known history of mental illness, which had been previously noted by both our medical team and local authorities. Despite the best efforts of our team, the patient sadly made a decision that led to the loss of his life,” the hospital said in a statement.
The hospital added that the matter was being investigated by sleuths from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations as they called on the public to respect the dignity of the deceased and allow space for accurate, respectful discourse around mental health and homelessness.
Over the weekend, detectives in Mombasa launched investigations into the death of the middle-aged man.
The man identified as Duke Muriuki is reported to have sought treatment at the hospital five days ago following a swelling on his knee though its cause had not been established.
Reports indicated that the deceased used curtain laces and his bed to end his life after those in the ward with him said he was unable to raise the medical bill.
Residents of Mombasa have called for swift investigations into the incident as they blamed laxity by authorities to be the cause of the incident which has been termed as sad.
They raised questions on why the medics on duty were unable to save the man’s life.
“The cause of his death has to be established. There is no way a patient can commit suicide in a hospital without doctors knowing. We have to know where the laxity is. The DCI who were here should do a proper investigation,” a resident stated.
Contrary to the hospital’s statement, some reports suggest that the patient was distressed over an accumulating medical bill, reportedly reaching approximately Ksh 400,000.
Sources indicated that family members were considering selling a piece of land to settle the outstanding amount.
