Social stigma, turned away from hospital: A new mother's burden surviving Covid-19

 

Recovering from Covid-19 does not mark the end of a survivor's ordeal - new mother Hazwani Hani has revealed.

Instead, victims and survivors must deal with social stigma, not just from society, but also some medical professionals.

"People would spread my wedding photos, pass by our home and take photos of our house, our cars... I can't (understand), this is a disease people, not a crime," she tweeted in the early hours of Tuesday.

Hazwani's story began on the morning of Oct 17, when she woke up with bad flu and mild muscle pains.

She was over 37 weeks' pregnant at the time and worried about her and her baby's health.

So she had her husband take her to the private hospital, where she had been doing her monthly checkups, the next day, to make sure everything was ok.

There, initial screening showed that she had a normal temperature, but the hospital put her into an isolation room and performed a swab test as a precaution.

Hazwani wasn't worried. She had no symptoms. But on the night of Oct 19, her world turned upside down.

"I'm sorry, puan. Your result was positive," she recalled a nurse telling her.

Despite her initial panic and subsequent homesickness while being isolated at the Sungai Buloh Hospital, Hazwani made a full recovery and was discharged after two weeks - as per the standard operating procedure.

All her close family also tested negative for the virus.

Instead, it was the attitudes of those around her that turned for the worse.

Besides nosy neighbours, Hazwani said there were also false allegations made against her and her family.

This includes claims she had gone to areas where there were Covid-19 cases, or that she had been picked up by health authorities from her home. (She had been transferred to Sungai Buloh from the private hospital).

"Just to clarify, I don't even know where I got this virus. If you think logically, for a pregnant lady like me, I only travel from home to office. I didn't go anywhere," she said.

When contacted, Hazwani revealed that she still experiences stigma - even though she had tested positive two months ago.

"Yes, we still (face stigma). Even our neighbours are afraid to greet us. Whenever we come out of the house, they will quickly go back inside," she told Malaysiakini.

Even medical professionals were not above stigmatising former Covid-19 patients, she revealed.

After being discharged from the Sungai Buloh hospital, Hazwani had planned to give birth at the private hospital she had been doing her monthly checkups with, and had already paid a deposit for her delivery.

"But since (the private hospital) applied this Covid-19 stigma, they didn't allow me to (get warded).

"They were afraid... even though we spent quite a lot for monthly checkups. We didn't receive any calls or explanation from the doctor, up till today," she tweeted.

A referral letter from Sungai Buloh hospital managed to secure her delivery at a different public hospital, where she still faced discrimination from some health workers.

"I still remember a staff nurse pushing away a pen I used to fill up a form when they knew I was a former Covid-19 patient.

"(Other staff) at the obstetrics and gynaecology counter... when I said I wasn't linked to a cluster, they raised their voice so everyone could hear. It was really embarrassing," she told Malaysiakini.

However, Hazwani said the doctor who helped deliver her baby girl on Nov 12 was a professional and did not discriminate.

The health workers at the Sungai Buloh Hospital were also very professional, she said.

"The staff were very friendly; they followed the SOP. They don't have Covid-19 stigma like others. They took good care of the Covid-19 patients," she tweeted.

The Sungai Buloh hospital is the country's main Covid-19 health facility.

Hazwani's experience has highlighted the need for empathy with those who have been infected with the virus.

"Safe to say I'm a proud Covid-19 survivor. We, Covid patients, have families, feelings and of course, we need support.

"Instead of asking where you got it (the virus), (it's) better you ask how are you doing? Let's take care of each other," she tweeted.

 - Mkini