Patient commits suicide at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital

Michael Mukulu, a resident of Rubaga-Mpumudde in Jinja North City Division, was found hanging in one of the sanitary facilities last Friday, August 4, 2023, according to hospital administrator David Ssemakula, who recognised the corpse.

According to Ssemakula, who described the occurrence as "very sad," the deceased had a "chronic condition" and was being treated in ward four of the hospital.

"He committed suicide by hanging from a rope for reasons unknown to all of us. However, we notified the police, who came and took the body to the mortuary awaiting an autopsy," he said.

He said that the hospital had contacted the deceased's kin to confirm claims that he had certain mental health concerns that drove him to commit suicide.

A source at the hospital revealed that the deceased was seen in the hospital with a relative who is a retired hospital employee.

"He has been coming here as a relative of that retired staff, and if he had some mental disorder, then the family is to blame for abandoning him," they revealed.

Ssemakula, on the other hand, wondered how the deceased evaded the hospital's attention, which included round-the-clock security officers.

"We have full security in place that patrols the facility all day and night with the assistance of Police, but we realised that we have porous outlets into the hospital through which he could have sneaked," he explained.

Despite being one of the country's oldest, having been built in the 1930s, Jinja Regional Referral Hospital lacks a fence.