Patient jumps to her death at GPH

A female patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) is now dead after she jumped to her death from a fourth floor hospital window.

Dead is Shaneeza Farouk, 39, of 61 Second Street, Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, who was admitted to the GPH in November. GPH last night said in a brief statement that an investigation has been launched into Farouk’s death.

According to the woman’s son, Vishnu Narine, his mother had been suffering from kidney failure.

Reports reaching this newspaper indicate that the incident occurred sometime around 9:30pm. Hospital sources reported that Farouk had asked a nurse to use the washroom and had been granted permission to do so. However, instead of heading towards the washroom, Farouk instead headed towards a nearby window within the female surgical ward.

She was noticed climbing through the window but it was too late to stop her, sources further said.

A barely alive Farouk was rushed to the emergency unit of the hospital, where doctors immediately began operating on her. However, she died soon afterwards while receiving medical attention.

Narine told Stabroek News that he received the news of his mother’s death around 10pm. According to Narine, he had spoken with his mother yesterday morning and at lunch and she had not indicated that anything was amiss.

“She just seh she alright, alright,” Narine relayed. By time relatives of Farouk had arrived at the hospital, the woman had already passed.

Narine further expressed anger at the GPH administration and said that the nurses should have been monitoring her more closely.

Farouk had been receiving dialysis since her admission to the GPH, Narine said. He added that she had been ill for months and had seen a number of doctors before she was referred to the GPH.

The housewife was described as loving and caring and leaves to mourn her two sons.