Four female inmates at Institute of Mental Health (IMH) in Chennai died on Friday. These women, along with other 31 inmates were admitted to the Chennai Corporation’s Communicable Diseases Hospital in Tondiarpet few days ago. These patients were suffering from dysentery. It is believed that the patients had consumed stagnant rainwater near their wards.

Staff at IMH said that water entered the women’s ward a few days ago. As IMH was understaffed, patients could not be monitored at regular intervals. Most wards housing chronically ill patients have leaking roofs and are flooded.

IMH director Dr R Sathianathan said that though the women had contracted illness during the rains, they were suffering from other ailments, including cardiac problems and diabetes. The government general hospital doctors will perform a post-mortem examination before the bodies are released.

The four deaths brought sorry condition of the facilities available for the care of mentally ill patients in the news.