Hong Kong police are investigating the death of a terminal cancer patient at a public hospital after she died in the ward with a knife on her chest early Monday morning.

Grantham Hospital in Wong Chuk Hang, where the patient was being treated at the palliative care ward, has reported the case to police, the Hospital Authority and the Coroner.

In a statement on Monday night, a hospital spokesman said that at around 4am, ward staff found the female patient unconscious and without a pulse. She had been undergoing treatment at the ward since mid-October.

Her family was informed subsequently, and the patient was certified dead at around 7am.

“The ward staff later assisted the patient to get changed and discovered a knife on her left chest. The staff immediately reported the case to the police,” the spokesman said.

A police spokesman said investigators from the Western District Crime Squad were investigating the incident. A source told the Post it was too early to say whether any foul play was involved.

The Grantham spokesman said they were “deeply saddened” and “very concerned” by the event. The Hospital Authority’s head office was already notified via the advance incident reporting system.

A root cause analysis will be conducted into the incident, which has been classified as a “sentinel event”. A report is expected to be submitted to the authority within eight weeks.

He added that the hospital staff had expressed their condolences and would offer assistance to the family of the deceased.

It is understood that the ward is not installed with any security cameras because of privacy concerns.

A Hospital Authority spokeswoman said she had nothing more to add to the hospital’s statement at the moment.