A patient has died at a New Brunswick psychiatric hospital that was recently the subject of harsh criticism from the province’s ombudsman.

According to Vitalité Health Network, the patient at the Restigouche Hospital Centre died on Saturday.

“The facility’s staff noted the death this morning, and the procedures were immediately put in place to inform the patient’s family, police authorities and the coroner,” a statement from the health network reads.

Vitalité Health Network says it is conducting an investigation to determine the exact cause and circumstances of the death.

The patient’s identity can’t be disclosed due to privacy laws and the protection of the patient’s personal information.

The health network says it will not be commenting further on the death.

Ombudsman’s critical report

The patient’s death comes just two days after New Brunswick ombudsman Charles Murray found serious problems with the hospital, saying patients were suffering “negligence, abuse and unacceptable treatment.”

Murray said the hospital is chronically understaffed and fails to provide adequate care.

“The number of incidents and the disturbing details thereof demonstrate that the Restigouche Hospital Centre is in crisis,” Murray said Thursday.

Murray said his office began investigating the centre after a 2017 complaint but started their “deep dive” into the files in May 2018 after receiving more complaints from inside the facility.

He concluded his report by saying “immediate action is needed.”

The Restigouche Hospital Centre is a 140-bed facility that opened in June 2015 at a cost of $156.6 million.

With files from The Canadian Press. 

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