Overview
- NSW Police are appealing for information on 25-year-old Madan Pandey, who failed to return from approved leave on Saturday morning and is considered a welfare concern.
- Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson has ordered an urgent review of Cumberland Hospital’s security, and NSW Health is conducting an external review of one escapee’s care.
- Premier Chris Minns says security at mental health facilities is not adequate and has pledged safety and security upgrades, citing recent escape-linked tragedies.
- NSW Health figures show Cumberland’s acute unit records about 0.75 absconding incidents per 1000 bed days, more than triple the statewide rate of 0.23.
- Two earlier escapees have been charged over separate incidents that left three people dead, intensifying scrutiny of staffing shortfalls, closed wards, and reduced programs at the hospital.