Top US doctor treating coronavirus patients in New York commits suicide; ‘her job killed her’, says father

'The victim, identified as Dr. Lorna Breen, a resident of New York City, was taken to UVA Hospital for treatment where she later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries'. The doctor was treating coronavirus patients in New York

New York: A top US doctor who was treating coronavirus (COVID-19) patients committed suicide by inflicting injuries, police said.

The 49-year-old Dr. Lorna Breen died at UVA (University of Virginia Health System) Hospital on Sunday (April 26). “She tried to do her job and it killed her,” her father Dr. Philip Breen told The New York Times.

“She was truly in the trenches of the front line,” he said. “Make sure she’s praised as a hero, because she was. She’s a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died.”

Dr. Lorna was an emergency room doctor at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Manhattan. She died of “self-inflicted” injuries.

“Dr Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department,” New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital said in a statement.

In a press release, the Charlottesville Police Department (CPD) said, “On Sunday, April 26, 2020, Charlottesville Police Department officers responded to a call for medical assistance in the 1800 block of Winston Road.

“The victim, identified as Dr. Lorna Breen, a resident of New York City, was taken to UVA Hospital for treatment where she later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries.”

”Frontline healthcare professionals and first responders are not immune to the mental or physical effects of the current pandemic," said Charlottesville police chief RaShall Brackney.

“On a daily basis, these professionals operate under the most stressful of circumstances, and the Coronavirus has introduced additional stressors. 

“Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can reduce the likelihood of being infected, but what they cannot protect heroes like Dr. Lorna Breen, or our first responders against is the emotional and mental devastation caused by this disease,” added Brackney.

The Charlottesville Police Department extended heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Dr. Lorna during this difficult time.