Four Mount Carmel Hospital patients were rushed to Mater Dei, three of them unconscious, suffering from a synthetic drug overdose, Times of Malta has learnt.

An internal probe has been launched also to establish whether the drugs were purchased from within the facility.

Sources said the incident happened on Thursday evening when nurses doing the evening rounds realised that three male patients were lying unconscious in their ward. The fourth patient was close by, visibly high on drugs but not unconscious.

They were taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance. The three patients who were admitted unconscious were kept there for further treatment while the fourth was examined and released.

Authorities launched internal investigation

Sources added patients in the same ward told the hospital administration that the three patients had been acting irrational and it was obvious they were “on something”.

The sources said the symptoms displayed by the patients showed they were on synthetic drugs. They said it was also evident none of the patients involved had been out of the hospital or had any contact with anyone from outside the facility, indicating the substance must have been obtained from someone within the complex.

The sources said the hospital authorities immediately launched an internal investigation also to establish how the drugs were taken into the hospital.

This is not the first time that synthetic drugs were found at Mount Carmel and that patients had suffered an overdose as a result, the sources noted.

The Health Ministry confirmed the incident and the hospitalisation of all four patients who were back at the Attard hospital yesterday.

A ministry spokeswoman said that a raid was carried out on the ward and “appropriate action” will be taken by the police and the hospital administration.