A nurse working at a private hospital in Hyderabad was found dead on Tuesday night under suspicious circumstances. Secunderabad’s Market police said that the woman is believed to have died by suicide. The 26-year-old woman from Telangana’s Nalgonda district had been working as a staff nurse at Yashoda Hospital in Secunderabad for around three years. According to police, she had been staying in a hostel right behind the hospital. On Tuesday night, around 7.30 pm, she was found dead in her room.
Market Police Station Sub-Inspector Uma Maheshwari said that needle marks were found on her body and that a lethal substance is suspected to have been injected. “As she was a nurse, we believe she could have administered the poison herself,” the SI said.
Police have registered a case of suspicious death under Section 174 of the CrPC (Code Of Criminal Procedure) and investigation is underway to find the exact cause and circumstance of her death. The substance injected is also yet to be identified, the Sub-Inspector said.
According to Indian Express, police said that the woman had been sharing her dormitory room with nine other colleagues, who were unsure of the exact events on the day of her death as they had different duty timings. When one of her roommates found her lying unconscious and took her to the hospital, she was declared to have been brought dead. Her parents, who live in Nalgonda, were also unsure about any possible reasons for her death, according to the police.
A few weeks ago, a senior doctor at the same hospital died from COVID-19. The Hindu reported that the 72-year-old doctor Harikrishna was treated in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for about 20 days before succumbing to COVID-19 on July 23.
The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Secunderabad branch of Yashoda Hospitals is one of the private labs authorised by the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) to conduct tests for coronavirus.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (toll free): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm)
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.