Elderly man dies after falling from hospital building

BUKIT MERTAJAM: An elderly man, with a history of psychiatric problems, fell from the third floor of a hospital building here last night.

The 62-year-old was rushed to the emergency ward for assistance but was pronounced dead.

The victim was admitted into the hospital on Sunday for low blood pressure, pneumonia and Hepatitis C.

Seberang Prai Tengah police chief Assistant Commissioner Shafee Abd Samad said the hospital alerted the victim's 36-year-old factory worker niece to her uncle's fall about 11.30pm yesterday.

He said, when she arrived at the hospital about 1.30am today, the victim had already died. She then lodged a police report.

"According to a witness, a patient in the same ward, the victim had pulled out a drip in his hand and walked towards the corridor about 11pm. The patient could not see what happened as he was seated with his back facing the corridor.

"The last time the ward nurse saw the victim was about 10.15pm when she went to check his blood pressure.

"Based on our investigation, there was no criminal element found at the scene," he said today.

Shafee said the victim had a history of psychiatric treatment and had received methadone due to drug addiction. He also had a history of depression.

His remains have been sent to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital forensic unit for post-mortem.

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