Youth Commits Suicide at Shillong’s Bethany Hospital, after a doctor tested COVID-19 positive

Shillong: A 26-year-old youth, who was undergoing treatment at Bethany Hospital in Shillong since March 30, has allegedly committed suicide in the hospital hours after a doctor of the hospital tested positive for the new coronavirus. The doctor is the first COVID-19 positive person from Meghalaya. After the news of the doctor came out the state government imposed a curfew for two days in Shillong. After a few hours from it, the youth, who was a psychiatric patient as per claims of the hospital authority, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off a window of his ward into a stream following next to the hospital. The police informed media that the deceased was a resident of Mawkyrwat of South Khasi Hills district. On the other hand, the hospital authority denied the rumour that the youth committed suicide due to the fear of coronavirus. A senior doctor of the hospital said, “He was a drug addict. He was admitted here on March 30 for detoxification. But today morning his dead body was found in the stream.” Another doctor said that the actual cause of the youth’s suicide is yet to be ascertained. “Coronavirus fear is everywhere. But it is not the fear for which the youth committed suicide,” the doctor said. Likewise, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma told media that the youth did not commit suicide for the fear of coronavirus. “The case has nothing to do with coronavirus. He was a drug abuser. The suicide was related to maybe withdrawal symptoms.”, the Chief Minister claimed.

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