JEDDAH: An inmate in Taif’s Shehar Psychiatric Hospital who stabbed a patient in the hospital on Friday morning smuggled the knife into the facility, according to Siraj Al-Humaidan, official spokesman for the Taif Health Department. The killer apparently used the opportunity to obtain the murder weapon during a short absence from the hospital granted by his doctor.
Around 8 a.m. on Friday, the 31-year-old mental patient stabbed a 36-year-old fellow inmate in the neck killing him instantly. In the light of the incident, the hospital’s administration yesterday issued a ban on granting patients, whatever their state, exit-and-entry passes.
Al-Humaidan said that the inmate was being held in ward No. 1 of the hospital after he had killed his father. He used the privilege of exit-and-entry granted by the doctor treating him, after what was described as “a considerable improvement in his condition,” to smuggle in the murder weapon. “We are currently investigating how he managed to bring in a knife inside the hospital,” Al-Humaidan said.
The investigation committee will also look into the doctor’s assessment of the patient, which led him to obtain the exit-and-entry privilege.
The Health Ministry formed a special committee to investigate the killing. Maj. Turki Al-Shehri, official spokesman for Taif police, said if any negligence were found on the part of the hospital staff, it would be included in the police investigation report.
Initial investigations into the incident revealed that the suspect confessed to stabbing the victim. “During investigation the suspect said he did not intend to kill his cell mate but wanted to injure him,” said Al-Shehri.
According to hospital staff the two were involved in a dispute in Ramadan.
