Kwong Wah Hospital announces sentinel event of suspected inpatient suicide
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The spokesperson for Kwong Wah Hospital (KWH) announced a sentinel event today (August 22):
A patient was admitted to a medical ward of KWH on August 10 due to shortness of breath and chest pain, and lung shadow was later identified, necessitating further investigation. The patient's clinical and emotional conditions were stable during admission screening and throughout hospitalisation.
At 3.10am today, healthcare staff had seen the patient entering the washroom. At 3.15am, a staff knocked on the door and the patient responded. The staff knocked again at 3.30am and received no response. The staff immediately broke the door and found that the patient was lying on the floor with loss of consciousness. The patient's head was wrapped in a plastic bag and left wrist was bleeding. Healthcare staff performed resuscitation for the patient immediately, informed the patient's family and reported the incident to the Police. The patient passed away at 9.10am.
The hospital was saddened by the incident and expressed deep condolences to the family of the patient. The hospital will provide assistance to the family as required and will fully co-operate with the Police in the investigation.
The hospital is very concerned about the incident which was classified as a sentinel event. The incident has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advance Incident Reporting System. A root cause analysis panel has been formed to investigate the incident. The incident has been reported to the coroner.
Ends/Friday, August 22, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:55
Issued at HKT 19:55
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