GPHC installing window barriers after two patients die by suicide

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has begun implementing additional safety measures following two recent patient deaths by suicide within the institution.

During an interview with the media on the sidelines of an event at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony described both incidents as “very unfortunate”, noting that the individuals were on suicide watch at the time.

“Both deaths are very unfortunate because both persons were on suicide watch,” he said.

According to the Minister, in each case, a staff member had been assigned to monitor the patient. However, the incident occurred during brief moments when the staff members had left the rooms.

“Both persons were on suicide watch. Someone was assigned to the room, but in both cases, as soon as the person left the room, you had the patients behaving erratically,” he explained.

In response, the Minister said he has instructed hospital officials to immediately install temporary barriers on all windows in affected wards as an added precaution while long-term solutions are being completed.

“I have given specific instructions to the hospital to, one, put temporary barriers on all windows. So, after the second case, I spoke to them on the first occasion, and they started a process of changing the windows so that somebody cannot go through the windows. But that process has not been completed. So, I told them, all the other windows, while they’re manufacturing the windows and installing them, to not wait until that process is finished. Let us put temporary barriers in place as we change out the windows; then that will solve the problem. So that’s one measure,” he noted.

The Minister acknowledged that safety decisions within healthcare facilities often involve balancing competing concerns, including fire safety regulations and patient protections.

He added, “It’s a balance that we have to do. The fire service would have come into the hospital even before this. And there’s a balance between grilling the windows and having a fire, so it can be problematic. Versus if you don’t put preventative measures in place, then you can end up with cases like this.”

The Minister expressed that once the new windows are completely installed, the risk associated with that particular vulnerability should be significantly reduced.

He further disclosed that ongoing repairs to the hospital’s psychiatric ward have required the temporary relocation of some patients to other sections of the facility, which may present additional management challenges.

“Because we are doing some repairs at this psychiatric ward, which is very secure, we have to temporarily locate these patients in a different part of the hospital. But we’ll take even more precautions now that we’ve had these cases,” he explained.

Despite the tragic incidents, the Minister emphasised that additional precautions will now be taken to strengthen monitoring and ensure the safety of patients.

“We are very sorry for the loss of these patients, and we’ll try to do our best to prevent anything happening in the future. But I think by barring the windows now and eventually changing out all the windows, we’ll solve that problem,” the Minister said.

On February 26, a 70-year-old patient died after jumping from the second-floor male surgical ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The man had been hospitalised for several weeks and was reportedly under suicide watch at the time of the incident. He succumbed to injuries sustained in the fall.

On January 18, 22-year-old Marissa Eastman, who was six months pregnant, died after jumping from the third floor of a ward at GPHC. Eastman, of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, Region Three, had been admitted earlier that day after relatives raised concerns about her unusual behaviour.

(If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 915 for assistance.)