The Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein has been rocked by yet another tragic incident after a suspected suicide by a male patient. The Free State Department of Health has confirmed the incident involving a 50-year-old patient occurred on Thursday, 7 November.
Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the department, said the deceased was admitted with 15% burns to his body at the hospital’s burn unit on Sunday, 3 November. He said the deceased originated from Botshabelo and sustained burns at his home.
According to an informed source, the deceased’s body was discovered by some of the staff members who were reporting for duty in the morning on Thursday.
Mvambi said the management of the hospital was informed about the lifeless body of a male patient suspected to have fallen to his death. He said the deceased’s next of kin had been alerted about this unfortunate incident.
“The management of the Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital was alerted to a horrific incident of the lifeless body of male patient that had fallen from the third floor. This patient of the burns unit, walked down the stairs from the seventh floor until he found an open toilet in the men’s bathroom on the third floor, with a back window open. He threw himself down in what seems like an act of suicide. This patient did not show any signs of emotional distress and did not need any attentive care beyond the medical treatment that he was receiving for the burn wounds,” said Mvambi.
A similar incident happened in July 2022 and involved a 33-year-old male patient. It was reported he fell from seventh floor. The patient was admitted for treatment of severe burns to his face, neck, right shoulder, and left hand.
Given the unexplained circumstances of the latest incident, Monyatso Mahlatsi, provincial MEC for Health, has encouraged men to speak out about their depressive situation. “We would like to take this opportunity to urge and encourage men to speak out and seek help when they feel that the pressures of life and personal circumstances become too heavy to bear” said Mahlatsi.
