CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The top neurologist at a local hospital has raised red flags about the state of his mental health after he called 9-1-1 to report that he was hearing voices while home alone.
Dr. Alok Singla, known for his work in the field of spine, joint, and bone disorders at Adena Regional Medical Center’s Orthopedic and Spine Institute (AOSI) sparked concern after the bizarre incident at his mansion. Singla called the Chillicothe Police Department’s 9-1-1 hotline, reporting that he was hearing voices inside his residence. Officers arrived at the scene to find the house in a state of unusual disarray, an unexpected scenario for a house of such value. Most baffling was the discovery that batteries had been removed from household electronics. The singular spectacle left police officers startled, raising questions about what might have transpired at the Singla residence.
Upon questioning, Singla told the officers that he began hearing voices and, out of anxiety, removed batteries from devices fearing some form of electronic surveillance or intrusion. He admitted that his actions were out of panic and that he was unable to explain it. He suggested that the voices could be heard while he was laying in bed and perhaps the voices were part of a terroristic plot to take him down. He told officers that he notably heard the voices while he was working in his home office taking notes down regarding medical cases.
In body camera video obtained by the Guardian, Singla was visibly distressed when officers arrived at the scene. The doctor was wearing an Adena t-shirt and greeted an officer at the front door by introducing himself as an employee of Adena Regional Medical Center.
“I’m here today (at home) because there’s some kind of voices I was hearing yesterday. It has been going on in the past, too. There are some kind of voices coming from the upstairs. I work as a neurologist at Adena. Sometimes here, in the room, there are voices in the room,” Singla told officers. “They make a sound like ‘woo-woo’ and it’s been in the past, too … these are sounds typical that someone has been walking through the house. Like, yesterday, there was a child crying in the house.”
The incident is puzzling to those who know Singla professionally. Colleagues at Adena Regional Medical Center have often lauded him for his work in neurology and his dedication to his patients.
“Dr. Singla is one of our most esteemed professionals, with impeccable standing in the medical community,” commented a colleague at Adena Regional. “It’s unsettling to hear of this incident. Our thoughts are with him, and we hope that he is alright.”
Authorities are keen to assure the public that there is currently no known terroristic threat to community safety.
The incident was concerning to officers at the police department, which prompted them to call Adena’s administration and relay their concern for Singla’s mental health status to top executives. It is unknown what action, if any, hospital administration took, however, Singla remains on the job. Adena refused to comment on this story when reached for an interview.
Singla’s name may seem familiar to some. He is one of several doctors at the hospital to surface in allegations of sexual harassment by patients and staff. The Guardian obtained three police reports where Singla is accused by women of inappropriately touching them, caressing them, or texting them sexual messages.
As of Wednesday morning, Singla remained on the job at Adena.
The Mental Health Hotline is a free, confidential 24-hour hotline for anyone struggling with a mental health crisis. Contact them by calling (866) 903-3787.