BY HARRIET MUGO
A family in Mombasa County is mourning a woman who died by suicide on Thursday at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Emily Owade, 50, a mother of four, died after she jumped from the balcony of a ward falling to her death in the 10am incident.
According to her first born daughter Sharlene Odhiambo, her mother complained of headache on Monday and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
She said tests were done but no disease was detected. Doctors also ruled out the possibility of her having depression.
“When we came for treatment on Monday, she lost her memory and felt dizzy. The doctors gave her painkillers to reduce the headache,” Odhiambo said.
On Tuesday, Owade was taken to counseling sessions as advised by the doctors and later she was allowed to go home because she was healthy.
The daughter said that when her mother was given permission, her concern was about one test for meningitis, which had not been done. However, she says she tried to follow up but it didn’t happen.
The mother appeared confused, distraught, uncomfortable and violent and took her back to the hospital.
“After arriving, the mother kept shouting and ran to the waiting area. She was given an injection which helped to calm her down before she was admitted to the first ward,” he said.
Odhiambo said that at night the patient started being violent and prevented her from leaving the ward where the locks on her door were broken, they placed a bed near the door.
However, the deceased opened the balcony door and threw himself down.
Odhiambo described her mother who was an interior designer as a funny, happy and strong woman saying her death surprised them.
The Deputy Chief Executive officer of the Coast General Teaching and Referral hospital, doctor Wanjiru Korir, sent her condolences to the family.
She said the hospital staff did everything they could to save her life. Her body was taken to the hospital mortuary pending an autopsy.
The incident was confirmed by the Urban police station, OCPD of Mvita sub-county Maxwell Agoro.
