In a video, man can be seen sitting on window ledge on the third floor of the hospital building
A man claiming to be suffering from coronavirus climbed onto a window ledge on the third floor of Safdarjung Hospital on Sunday and threatened to jump off, leading to a tense situation.
Police, however, said the man is not suffering from coronavirus and is mentally challenged.
A call about the incident was received at 2.42 pm, fire department officials said.
In a video shared by the fire department, the man can be seen sitting on the window ledge on the third floor of the hospital building. He threatens to jump off if anyone comes near him.
A senior fire official said the man had a blade in his hand and claimed to be a coronavirus patient. He threatened that he would cut his hand and spill his blood onto anyone who came near him to "spread the virus".
The man also spat on the firemen while they were trying to rescue him, he said.
The fire department finally managed to bring him down using a ladder around 4.15 pm, he added.
Police said the man is mentally challenged and undergoing treatment at the hospital.
He is not suffering from coronavirus, they said.
A senior doctor at Safdarjung Hospital confirmed this.
The man was admitted to the orthopedic ward with a fractured elbow. He is a chronic alcoholic and also suffers from psychiatric issues. He is not a COVID-19 patient, the doctor said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)