Terminally ill cancer patient jumps to death from hospital

An elderly terminally ill cancer patient jumped to death from the seventh floor of a private hospital in the satellite township of Salt Lake on Saturday, the hospital said.

"Dhruba Prasad Chattopadhyay, 75, slipped out of his room undetected to the fire escape corridor and committed suicide by jumping down from the seventh floor fire escape window," AMRI Hospital, Salt Lake, said in a statement.

East Jadavpur resident Chattopadhyay, a patient of "metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma", was admitted to the hospital on Friday for undergoing cyclic chemotherapy, as also psychiatric evaluation and breathing problem.

"He was suffering for a long time. This is a result of depression," said hospital superintendent Sabyasachi Chatterjee.

"Police inspection has been carried out. Prima facie, police investigation has ruled out any foul play or mala fide intention," the hospital said.

The body was sent to R.G. Kar Medical College for post-mortem examination.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death.

--IANS

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