A 37-year-old suspected Covid-19 patient tried to kill himself by jumping off the third floor of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital building in central Delhi late on Saturday, police said.

The man suffered a fracture in his legs and is undergoing treatment in the hospital, they said. They added that the man, a shopkeeper, does not have any foreign travel history.

“Prima facie, it appears that he was depressed and feared to be infected by the Covid-19,” said a police officer.

Police said the man is not from the Nizamuddin Markaz area, from where more than 2300 people, including foreigners, were evacuated by authorities after many from across the country who had attended a religious congregation there were found Covid-19 positive.

Sanjay Bhatia, the deputy commissioner of police (central), said the man, who lives with his family in a residential area not too far from the hospital, had walked into the hospital on March 31, complaining about a runny nose and cough.

After initial medical tests, the doctors said he was suffering from normal flu and had no symptoms of Covid-19.

“They discharged him but he returned the same day and insisted on being admitted so that his tests should be done again. The man was admitted,” said Bhatia, adding that the result of the man’s test for Covid-19 test was awaited.

On Saturday at around 11.30pm, DCP Bhatia said, the man jumped down from the third floor of the hospital. He first fell on the metal roof below and then landed on the ground, because of which he survived but fractured his legs.

“Doctors have told us that his condition is stable,” said Bhatia.

An official from Lok Nayak Hospital, which has been converted into a dedicated Covid-19 hospital, also confirmed that the suspected patient jumped from the building.

“We do not know the reason yet. His is alive and his injuries are currently being evaluated and treatment is being done,” the official said.

There are 466 Covid-19 patients, including 15 discharged and six fatalities, in Delhi.