A somber mood has engulfed Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital following the tragic death of a tuberculosis (TB) patient who died by suicide just hours after receiving a belt from his wife.
The patient, 38-year-old Mike Juma, had been admitted to the hospital’s isolation ward for TB treatment and was reportedly on the road to recovery. Despite his improving health, the tragedy unfolded on Sunday evening, leaving both his family and hospital staff in shock.
Family members revealed that Juma had been asking for several personal items during their visits, but his recent request for a belt stood out. Although the request seemed unusual, given that patients typically wear hospital gowns, his wife brought the belt to him on Sunday, unaware of his intentions.
Later that day, Juma was found dead in a washroom located in Ward Seven. It is believed he used the belt to hang himself.
Dr. Vincent Oduor, the hospital’s CEO, stated that the patient had not shown any signs of mental distress and had been responding well to treatment. Other patients assumed he had gone to bathe until a cleaner discovered his lifeless body during routine duties.
The incident was reported to the hospital management and the police. Homa Bay sub-county Police Commander Emmanuel Kiplagat confirmed that investigations are ongoing, and a postmortem will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Sources close to the case disclosed that Juma had previously defaulted on his medication, which led to his readmission. His body has since been moved to the hospital mortuary as investigations continue.
