KUALA LUMPUR – A social media post by a doctor who caught Covid-19 from a patient who was untruthful about their health status has been widely shared, prompting the health director-general to plead for the public not to lie.
“Do not lie to frontliners. We must also be protected, we have family, we have friends. Don’t persecute the frontliners,” said Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a Facebook post today.
It comes after the doctor, in a Facebook post on December 23, shared that a patient had lied about having cough and fever for a week.
A CT scan showed the patient’s lungs looking like those of someone with Covid-19. Two days later, the patient tested positive for the disease.
“In the beginning, I was categorised as a low-risk contact because I had my surgical mask on, and the patient did not cough in front of me.
“However, physical distancing was not possible because I had to prepare an IV line before the CT scan. The contact took only five to 15 minutes.
“I observed hand hygiene according to the SOPs because I am paranoid.”
At the time, the doctor was told that no quarantine or swab test was needed. But, she felt uneasy and got swabbed at another hospital.
She then observed self-quarantine despite not showing any symptoms.
“When I got the positive result, I cried because I have to be away from my husband and children. I’m also worried about my family and colleagues who might be infected.
“I’m disappointed by my patient’s attitude.”
On December 17, The Vibes reported that sources of infections at some hospitals were patients who did not disclose their health status upon arrival, resulting in hospital staff contracting the coronavirus.
“There were a lot of them (patients). And, they were not being truthful when they were hospitalised,” said a source.
Several Covid-19 cases were detected at Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in March, prompting it to limit visiting hours and bar children under 12 from visiting. – The Vibes, December 27, 2020
