The union at Gao regional hospital publicly acknowledged the reported incident, apologised to the patient’s family and the population, and said the gendarmerie had opened an investigation, Studio Tamani reported on 23 October. Union spokesperson Boubacar Issa Touré described the suspect as a former trainee who was not a hospital employee and said he was on the run.
The patient had been admitted to intensive care following surgery and died on Wednesday, 21 October, hours after the alleged assault. Studio Tamani reported that no causal link had been established between the assault allegation and her death. Residents interviewed in Gao demanded accountability and stronger protection inside the hospital, particularly in its intensive-care unit.