When the Covid-19 pandemic reached Singapore and our surrounding neighbours, workplaces began implementing stringent safety protocols. Despite adhering to them, a Singaporean working in Jakarta still tested positive for Covid-19, and is now in the intensive care unit (ICU).
His wife who was living with him there tested positive too, but is now recuperating.
In an interview with BERITA Mediacorp, their son-in-law shared the challenging ordeal of bringing the pair home.
64-year-old Abdul Rashid Sahari, a quality control officer at a power generation plant in Jakarta, has been working in Indonesia for the past 20 years.
The only family with him there has been his wife Mdm Safiah, 56, whom he lives with.
Son-in-law Mr Haikel Fahim describes Mr Rashid to BERITA Mediacorp as a very cautious person, apparently taking a Covid-19 test every 10 days as his workplace had instructed.
It came as a shock, therefore, when Mr Rashid tested positive for the virus just a few days after results came back negative in a routine test.
The follow-up test reportedly came after Mr Rashid started noticing Covid-19 symptoms on 27 Nov, which included:
He took the initiative to get himself tested again, but his body weakened while waiting for the results. 3 days later, results confirmed that he was positive for Covid-19.
Speaking to BERITA Mediacorp, Mr Haikel claimed that hospital staff told his father-in-law to return home as they lacked beds.
They allegedly instructed him to self-quarantine, take his meds, and recuperate at home.
His wife who lived under the same roof inevitably became infected too, though her symptoms were much milder.
About 2 days after receiving his results, Mr Rashid’s condition reportedly worsened, forcing him to return to the clinic a second time.
He was initially allegedly told to go home again, but when close examination showed low oxygen levels in his body, he was finally referred to a private hospital in Jakarta.
Mr Rashid’s hospital admission was apparently only the beginning of the family’s woes, as it meant that his wife was alone at home.
Since she had Covid-19 too, getting help if the need arose would have been difficult.
Her children’s request to keep her in the hospital for at least a day was apparently denied.
Less than 2 days after admission, Mr Rashid’s condition became critical, reports BERITA Mediacorp.
His family took several attempts before they could finally reach the hospital to check on Mr Rashid.
Even amidst coughs and unsteady breathing, he still told his children to check on his wife.
At that point, Mr Haikel noted that his father-in-law “couldn’t speak”, prompting the family to make a major decision.
Realising how difficult it would be to continually monitor their elderly parents while in separate countries, the children thought of bringing them home.
But an air ambulance, along with other treatment costs, would set them back $85,000. Moving Mr Rashid from the hospital also carried huge risks.
Despite the scary prospects, they trudged on with the mindset that you can find money, but not a person’s life.
In just 23 hours, an appeal they posted on their blog garnered $88,000 in donations, easily covering costs for the emergency operation.
Mr Rashid arrived safely in Singapore on 7 Dec, and his wife, just the day after.
While Mdm Safiah is recovering in a dedicated facility, her husband now lies in the ICU at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), according to BERITA Mediacorp.
Still in critical condition, he could only possibly hear as his family speaks to him via the intercom. Due to his condition, they haven’t been able to meet in person yet.
Mr Haikel told BERITA Mediacorp that his father-in-law showed slight reactions 1 or 2 days ago, when he raised his hand and nodded.
Just today (17 Dec), the family updated that doctors have removed Mr Rashid’s endotracheal tube (ETT), allowing him to talk.
These signs give them hope that he’s on the road to recovery.
Though Mr Rashid is in the ICU, a look through Singapore’s case updates reveals 0 critical cases as recently as yesterday (16 Dec).
MS News has reached out to the Ministry of Health (MOH) for comments.
While they’ve gotten much of the admin and financial matters out of the way, the path ahead for Mr Rashid’s family remains uncertain.
Nevertheless, they’re thankful to the staff at NCID for doing “a wonderful job”. You may follow the family’s updates via their blog here.
As they wait for bigger signs of improvement, we wish them all the best and hope they stay strong.
Most importantly, we wish Mr Rashid and Mdm Safiah a smooth recovery.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Help Abdul Rashid’s Family on WordPress.
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