Patient who stabbed VSMMC guard suffering from depression

CEBU, Philippines - A mental patient at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center who stabbed a security guard Monday is said to have just lost his new born child due to complications.

Dr. Rene Obra, chief of VSMMC center for behavioral sciences, said the patient is a trisikad driver from Negros Oriental. He is said to be a drug dependent for two years and had been under observation at the center.

Obra said depression may have driven the patient to commit the crime because he did not only loss his baby, his live-in partner also broke up with him.

According to Obra, the patient's live-in partner delivered the baby at a hospital nearby but was transferred to VSMMC due to complications. Unfortunately, the baby died at 2 a.m. Monday.

Obra said the patient was overheard saying that he already wanted to die.

"Nadunggan pa nga niingon siya nga maypa'g mamatay ko kay namatay akong bata," Obra told The Freeman.

At 3 p.m. on Monday, the patient went berserk, prompting the hospital staff to bring him to the center for behavioral sciences. When he was no longer restrained, the patient escaped and stabbed security guard Jonathan Flordelez, who was on duty at the gate.

The patient was arrested and is now detained at the Police Station 2.

Flordelez underwent an operation because of the single stab wound to his back and is now recuperating at the PhilHealth ward of VSMMC.

Obra said the hospital is now conducting investigation as to where the patient got the knife.—  (FREEMAN)