A widow who claims her late husband died from injuries suffered when he threw himself from the second-floor window of a psychiatric hospital in Co Kilkenny has taken a High Court action for damages.
Mrs Catherine Power (49), of Norelands, Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny, claims there was a failure to properly assess her husband Melvin's mental state or to evaluate the risk of suicide.
She is suing the South Eastern Health Board, operators of St Canice's Hospital, Kilkenny, under the Civil Liability Act 1961.
She claims her husband, Mr Melvin Power (51), was admitted to the hospital on January 16th, 1996 and, four days later, threw himself from the window, sustaining head and chest injuries. He was taken to St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, and from there to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, where he died on January 23rd, 1996.
It is claimed Mr Power's death was caused by negligence and breach of duty of the board, its servants or agents, and that Mrs Power and other dependants are entitled to damages for loss occasioned by the death.
The South Eastern Health Board denies it was guilty of negligence or breach of duty.
From the time of his admission to St Canice's, Mrs Power claims, she and family members had visited Mr Power at frequent intervals. He was complaining of feeling very low and was uncommunicative. During the afternoon of January 19th, 1996, Mr Power became very agitated and by early evening was complaining of very severe head pain and demanding "a scan of his brain". This was communicated to nurses, it was claimed.
Mrs Power claims that on the morning of January 20th, 1996, she phoned the hospital to inquire about her husband's health. Subsequently, she spoke to the hospital by phone and said she would visit her husband later that day.
In the afternoon, she was notified that her husband had thrown himself from the window.
Until some time before his death, Mr Power had worked on a stud farm. He then worked on a part-time basis as opportunities presented themselves.
The plaintiffs claim the health board failed to carry out a proper assessment of Mr Power's mental state and to properly monitor him on a daily basis or take heed of a deterioration in his mental condition.
The hearing, before Mr Justice O'Donovan, continues today.