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Mentally Ill Patient Steals Ambulance, Arrives at Hospital
27 Mar
Summary
- Patient drove ambulance to another hospital to assume new role.
- Security protocols failed, allowing patient to leave PIMH.
- A committee formed to investigate the security lapse.
A mentally challenged patient, Rehanul Haq, who had been receiving treatment at the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) since 2022, absconded with an official ambulance.
He drove approximately 14 kilometers to Government Shahdara Teaching Hospital, where he informed confused administrators that he had been appointed as the new Medical Superintendent and had arrived to assume his duties.
Security at PIMH is under scrutiny after the patient, identified via his photograph, managed to drive the vehicle through busy city roads without incident. Police took custody of the patient and the ambulance.
A four-member committee has been established to probe the security failures at the mental health institute and fix responsibility, particularly on the gate security staff.
