Sad News Came From Maluku, Four-Month-Old Baby Died Allegedly Due To COVID-19

The baby's parents hold a baby who died allegedly due to COVID-19 in Saumlaki, Kab. The Tanimbar Islands, Maluku. (ANTARA/Simon Lolonlun)

MALUKU - Director of the Regional General Hospital (RSUD) dr PP. Magreti Saumlaki, dr. Fulfuly Nuniari, confirmed that a four-month-old baby who was being treated at the Tanimbar Islands Regency hospital, Maluku died and was suspected of being infected with COVID-19.

"We did a rapid antigen and the patient was declared positive. After that, there were rapid antibodies and they were declared reactive. The treatment in the COVID-19 patient room was only about thirty minutes, the patient was declared dead," said doctor Fulfuly in Saumlaki, reported by Antara, Sunday, 19 December.

He said the baby patient with the initials WM was declared dead on Friday, December 17, 2021. This baby's death became a public discussion because the photo of his parents holding the baby's body from the hospital, is now widely circulating (viral) on social media in Maluku.

Fulfuly explained that the baby with the initials WM from this married couple came from Lematang village, South Tanimbar sub-district, Tanimbar Islands district, Maluku.

The baby was brought by his parents to the hospital on Friday, at 15.30 WIT with complaints of shortness of breath, fever, and diarrhea. After the medical team conducted an initial examination, the patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia.

According to him, the medical team had explained to the victim's family that the funeral process would be carried out in accordance with the COVID-19 patient's health protocol on Saturday after the coffin was done.

However, the process of working on the coffin was hampered by a power outage for several hours, so the baby's family couldn't wait and took the body out of the hospital.

"Due to the blackout for several hours, the coffin was just brought in at 12 o'clock. Because they couldn't wait, the father carried the baby's body out and brought it back to Lematang. Even though there was an escort from the police and an explanation to the family, the baby's body was still there. His family immediately took him out of the hospital," he said. Doctor Fulfuly stated that up to now, two infant patients had died due to confirmed COVID-19 who had been treated at the dr. PP Magretti Saumlaki. Previously, the seven-day-old baby who had been hospitalized died of COVID-19 infection on September 6, 2021.

The case of the death of a four-month-old baby patient who was confirmed to be COVID-19 had made a scene on social media. The patient's family, who was upset, recorded a video of the body being carried by his father out of the hospital, and spread the video on social media.

Fulfuly added, on the same day, a confirmed COVID-19 patient with the initials NT (27) who came from Sifnana village, South Tanimbar District, died. When he entered the hospital, the patient complained of shortness of breath and the results of the rapid antigen were positive. In addition, the patient's rapid antibody is also reactive.

"The way to break the chain of spread of COVID-19 is only through vaccination, because all the patients we receive and are treated at this hospital are suspects or until they are confirmed positive for COVID-19, on average they have not been vaccinated," he said.

For this reason, he appealed to the public to be vaccinated so that the government's efforts to break the chain of the spread of COVID-19 in the Tanimbar Islands Regency could be carried out.