TORONTO – Prashant Tiwari fashioned a noose out of a hospital gown, tied it to a ceiling vent and hanged himself in a psychiatric ward when his nurses left him alone for hours to attend a “potluck lunch,” according to a statement of claim obtained by the Toronto Star.
The 20-year-old was on suicide watch when he took his own life in the washroom at Brampton Civic Hospital on June 26, 2014, reported Toronto Star.
His grieving family launched a $12.5-million lawsuit against the hospital in February, for wrongful death and breach of privacy.
On Thursday, the Tiwari family amended their original statement of claim to include an allegation that Prashant’s care team “organized, attended and participated in a potluck lunch at the hospital on the day of Prashant’s death, including the hours leading up to his death.”
The allegation has yet to be proven in court. No statement of defence for the lawsuit has yet been filed by the hospital.
William Osler Health System, which oversees Brampton Civic Hospital, told the Star Friday afternoon that it had not received a revised statement of claim from the Tiwari family.
“When we receive it we will respond through the appropriate legal process,” Cara Francis, spokeswoman for Osler, said.
“We have and continue to express our sincere condolences for the Tiwari family’s loss. This is an extremely tragic situation for family, friends and the entire Osler community.”
Francis said she could not comment on any individual patient case, but reiterated the hospital had processes in place to ensure there was always “appropriate staff coverage in patient care areas, regardless of any activity that may be happening in the hospital.”
Under suicide watch, Prashant was supposed to be checked on every 15 minutes — but his family claims hospital records prove he was left alone for almost three hours.
In light of the fresh allegation, the Tiwari family has now retained senior criminal counsel to investigate whether criminal charges should be laid.
Courtesy Toronto Star
