The family of the man who leaped to his death by jumping out of a window at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) on Sunday evening has alleged negligence on the part of staff at the medical facility.
The sister of the now deceased 63-year-old Mortimer Sagon told Guyana Times on Monday that her brother was admitted to the hospital over a week ago to be treated for tuberculosis and haemorrhoids. She, however, said on several occasions, Sagon would complain of being neglected at the medical institution.
“He used to say how the pain from the pile [haemorrhoids] too much and it hurting bad and when he ask the nurse, she don’t give he no medication to ease the pain,” the woman alleged.
West Demerara Regional Hospital
The dead man’s sister also noted that prior to this incident, her brother never exhibited suicidal tendencies, also claiming that he may have jumped to his death owing to frustration over “the pain” he was experiencing.
The woman maintained that had the medical personnel at the Hospital paid more attention to her brother when he cried out in pain and requested pain medication, Sagon would still be alive. Sagon, a divorced father of one, reportedly worked mostly in the interior and had returned just over two months ago. He resided at Parika, East Bank Essequibo.
It was reported that about 19:00h on Sunday, Sagon jumped out of a window at the Hospital’s male ward. He fell on to a septic tank and died shortly after. Police investigations into the matter are continuing.
Meanwhile, the West Demerara Hospital only recently made headlines when it was left in a state of panic after doctors refused to work and took strike action as a result of noted failure on the part of the Public Health Ministry to address their numerous concerns.
The doctors were calling for better security at the facility following a number of incidents where doctors were either physically attacked or verbally abused by patients and others. A previous incident saw two doctors being attacked by a patient and his relatives and even spat upon. The doctors later called on the Public Health Ministry to tighten security services at the facility.
