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SINGAPORE – An Indian national was consumed with anxiety after being informed that he had contracted the Covid-19 infection.
However, a doctor at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), where Mr. Alagu Periyakarrupan had been held, told the court on Thursday (September 24) that the 46-year-old construction worker was on his way to be transferred to a community facility.
On April 23, Mr. Alagu was found immobile and without a pulse on an outdoor staircase on the third floor of KTPH, just days after he entered for a Covid-19 infection.
During an investigation into his death, the court heard that Mr. Alagu, who was admitted to the hospital on April 19, was described by other patients as being quiet but helping the nurses distribute food trays during meals.
Dr. Goh Kah Hong, head of KTPH’s department of psychiatry and chair of the hospital committee in charge of reviewing Mr. Alagu’s death, said: “He mentioned some concerns about his financial future, in addition to worrying about his children in India. .. Those were common concerns of patients in similar situations. “
Dr Goh said that many migrant workers who are Covid-19 patients have a “conceptual difficulty” understanding why they are in the hospital, even after their diagnosis has been translated into their native languages.
The court heard that Mr. Alagu had no complications and was on his way to be transferred to community facilities.
But around 5:30 a.m. on April 23, he made two video recordings on his phone from his living room bathroom, saying that he wanted to end his life because he had the coronavirus infection.
It is believed that he then used a metal hook he had to open one of the windowpanes next to his bed and jumped out of the window.
An autopsy report found that he died of injuries caused by “a fall from a height”, suffering multiple injuries, including a broken heart, bleeding in the chest cavities, fractured ribs and pelvis and bleeding on the surface of the brain.
There was no evidence to indicate that his death was caused by pneumonia.
The investigating officer, Inspector Jolene Ng, testified that it could not be determined where Mr. Alagu got the metal hook from, as investigations did not reveal whether it came from anywhere in the hospital.
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HELP LINES
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Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
Mobile Crisis from the Institute of Mental Health Service: 6389-2222
Care Corner Counseling Center (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800
Silver ribbon: 6386-1928
Tinkle’s friend: 1800-274-4788
KTPH, since the incident, has used silicone as an adhesive on all of its windows to ensure that the latches used to secure the window panes would be more difficult to open.
In April, the Ministry of Manpower said that Mr. Alagu had been working in Singapore as a construction worker for the same employer since September 2009. He did not file any complaints against his employer.
Alagu’s nephew, Veerappan Meenakshi Sundaram, attended the investigation on Thursday.
State Coroner Kamala Ponnampalam said she will deliver her findings Friday.
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