Dubai Returnee, a six-and-a-half pregnant says Negligence of Doctors and Denial of Entry to Her Apartment led to Miscarriage! Resident Welfare Association of ‘Shivdeep Residency Apartments’ in Shivbagh, Mangaluru clarifies.
Mangaluru: Gone are those days when Mangaloreans were known for their friendliness, gesture and hospitality- but since the lockdown of COVID-19 kicked in, Mangaloreans have been showing some disliking towards Mangaloreans. We have seen locals recently objecting to cremation of a dead body at a crematorium in their neighbourhood, fearing the spread of Coronavirus; people have protested against Gulf returnees staying at a PG Hostel in their neighbourhood; etc. Earlier, when people used to return from Dubai or other Gulf countries, they would get warm welcome, hugs, and someone would carry their luggage. But recently due to the pandemic, whenever people see Gulf returnees, they keep a distance and don’t even lend a helping hand in carrying their baggage. Even pregnant women arriving from the Gulf have to bring their own luggage at the Airport.
Once upon a time, politicians and other social organizations had great love and respect towards people from Dubai, Kuwait and other Gulf countries, when sponsorship/donations used to come in large from their side- but these even the politicians and organization members are avoiding Gulf returnees. Time has changed due to COVID-19 scare, and due to this there have been a few controversial issues taken place- and one issue what we are highlighting here is the negligence by the doctors/health care staff and denial of permission to enter her apartment by the apartment association, after a six-and-a-half months’ pregnant woman had returned from Dubai recently, and due to this, she had a miscarriage, with the baby dying in her womb.
Narrating the incident the maternal uncle of the pregnant lady, Azeez Bastikar speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “Nafeeza (name changed) had returned from Dubai on the First Air India Express flight on 12 May 2020, along with other Indian repatriates on that flight. After all the procedures and health check-up at the Mangaluru International Airport, she was transported to a quarantine centre (Sai Palace) on K S Rao Mangaluru, for 14 days of institutional quarantine. On the second day of her return, while she still at the hotel, she tested negative for COVID-19 in the first test. As per SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) for pregnant women as directed by the government, she was supposed to be shifted to her apartment, Shivdeep Residency, located at Shivbhag in the city for home quarantine”.
Azeez Bastikar further said, “However, the members of the Resident Welfare Association of the apartment who got a whiff of her arrival, called an emergency meeting the previous night and reportedly informed the pregnant woman that her entry to the flat would put other residents in trouble and suggested that she stay away, stating that many seniors reside in that apartment. It is also learnt that the apartment consists of retired and serving police officials. With no other option, Nafeeza had to continue her quarantine at the hotel. During the quarantine time, the doctors from Government Hospital who attended her lacked in providing proper healthcare required for a pregnant woman and also refused to touch her, out of fear of COVID-19 spread. Sometimes, Nafeeza had to call twice or thrice for the doctors to come and see her. Many a time, they did not even check her Blood Pressure (BP), saying that they ‘forgot to bring the kit’. Perhaps this was a ploy to avoid physical contact with the patient”, added Azeez.
Azeez further said, “When her situation worsened, her family members contacted several hospitals in the city, including a private hospital in Mangaluru, but all of them allegedly refused to admit her, due to availability of the gynecologists fearing the sealing down of the hospital in case she tests positive on the 14th day Coronavirus test. As her condition was worsening being at the quarantine hotel, Nafeeza, who is six and half months pregnant was shifted to Tara Clinic. On Wednesday, 27 May after her 14th-day test had turned negative. The doctors who checked her immediately found out that she had suffered a miscarriage and operated on her to remove the stillborn. The doctors said a further delay would have cost her life. Next day, on Thursday, 28 May, me along with a relative of Nafeeza approached Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh, seeking action against the doctors and hospitals who denied treatment and the Apartment Association who refused her entry to the apartment, even we had the necessary documents from the district administration”.
“Due to all the ill-treatment meted out to Nafeeza by doctors and others added to her trauma resulting in the miscarriage, and therefore I appeal to the concerned authorities to ensure that no one else is treated in a similar manner. Nafeeza and her husband live in Dubai and that she came to India for a safe delivery as the situation was critical in Dubai. The paid quarantine facility (Sai Palace Hotel) where she had to continue after the Apartment Association denied her access, charged her Rs 60,000 for her stay for nearly 15 days. I hope the concerned authorities, including the DC, would take necessary action against all those responsible for the ill-treatment and hassles Nafeeza had to face, and above all, losing her baby, which would otherwise have been her first baby after marriage recently”, concluded Azeez Bastikar.
Sources reveal that the Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde on Thursday had issued a notice to the owner of ‘Shivdeep Apartment’, for refusing Nafeeza’s entry, and has requested the owner or the apartment and also the apartment association respond within three days, failing which legal action will be initiated. Meantime, Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh, has said that if the woman feels that she has faced injustice, where she was denied entry into her apartment after she was tested negative and had all the rights to go home for quarantine, she can file a complaint. DC has also promised to inquire into why she was not allowed into the flat and who the doctors were and hospitals who refused to treat her. Meanwhile, Azeez and other family members will meet DC tomorrow, prior to Nafeeza’s discharge from the Clinic soon.
Clarifying on the allegations made on the (Shivdeep Residency Apartments) Residents Welfare Association by Nafeeza (name changed) and her maternal uncle, the president of the Association Brig (retd) I N Rai (residing in apt #102 ) speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “Ms Mumtaz, the mother of the pregnant woman who came down from Dubai, resides in the rental apartment # 1001 here, along with her two daughters, since four years. Now it is surprising to know that her elder daughter (pregnant woman) got married recently, but none of us had a wedding invite. On 9 May 2020, Mumtaz had approached the treasurer (a lady) of the Apt Association informing that her daughter was coming down from Dubai on 12 May, and would be staying with her in Shivdeep Apartments.”
“Learning this we quickly called for a meeting the next day, along with the owner of the apartment (Norbert Crasta) and bevy of Association Office Bearers, and it was unanimously decided that before Mumtaz’s pregnant daughter enters this apartment she has to undergo the complete mandatory test as ordered by the govt and district administration, and also obtain the necessary documents from the authorities. And this decision taken by the Association was conveyed to Mumtaz, and owner of the apartment was also told to inform Mumtaz of the same. On 12 May, after the first Air India Express flight carrying Indian repatriates, among whom was this pregnant woman, landed at Mangalore International Airport, and in the next two days it was found that 20 were tested positive for COVID-19 who travelled by this flight”, added Brig Rai.
He further said, “Even though we came to know that Nafeeza was tested negative, but our concern was that since she had travelled for nearly 3-4 hours in that flight, where 20 were tested positive for Coronavirus, we were worried a lot. While Nafeeza was at the quarantine hotel, on 17 May, Mumtaz had approached the Association treasurer stating that she would bring her daughter to the flat to stay with her. Immediately we called for an emergency meeting, where 11 association members attended, including Ms Mumtaz and her younger daughter. During the meeting, it was conveyed to Ms Mumtaz, since nearly 50% of the residents in this apartment are seniors, including myself being 73 years old, and also many school-going children, it is highly vulnerable that her pregnant daughter could be COVID-19 positive, even though she came out negative few days ago”.
“In all fairness, we requested Ms Mumtaz to cooperate with us, in seeing that her daughter is under 14 days quarantine, and if she feels uncomfortable, she could be shifted to a hospital, and that the Association members will lend all their support in finding a suitable hospital, either at Unity Health Complex or at Yenepoya Hospital since few association members had close ties with these two hospitals. We also assured that we will provide food for Nafeeza at the hospital, and even to Ms Mumtaz if she was taking care of her daughter at the hospital. And during Nafeeza’s quarantine in the apartment, we also planned to have one elevator exclusively for her, with a BIG size ‘Q’ alphabet marked on the lift- all this was decided to help Ms Mumtaz’s daughter, and also in the interest of the other residents in the apartment” added Brig Rai.
Brig Rai further said, “During the 17 May meeting, when we had asked Ms Mumtaz whether she has picked any doctor or hospital or nursing home for her daughter, she said NO, and when we offered her help from our side, she was reluctant to reply. A serving senior police officer, who is also a office bearer of the Apt Association also gave the necessary advise to Ms Mumtaz. But we later found out that Nafeeza had decided to stay at the quarantine hotel. There was no coercion, or threat, whatsoever from our side in this regard, it was our request to Ms Mumtaz for the safety of other residents in the apartment. But since that 17 May meeting, Ms Mumtaz never called or communicated with us. When we found out that Nafeeza’s quarantine ended on 26 May, we even requested our security person to help her in carrying her luggage to apt # 1001. But no one showed”.
In conclusion, Brig I N Rai said, “We request the district administration officials to access the medical documents of Ms Nafeeza, which is in the hands of Ms Mumtaz, and we ask for a copy of the same. We reiterate that Ms Nafeeza has never been to the premises of Shivdeep Apartments, nor that we had denied her any entry to this apartment. We refrain from the blame game. But on 27 May, we were distorted to hear the sad news that Nafeeza had lost her baby, still in the womb. We are all human beings, and we help each other and would love to live in unity. We pray God almighty to bless the departed soul”.
So, while DC Sindhu Rupesh, MCC Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde and other concerned authorities are sleuthing into this issue, let’s hope for a happy ending, on both sides!