Gulf | Bahrain

Filipina first to die of swine flu in Bahrain

A Filipina believed to have shunned medical help was the first person to die of swine flu in Bahrain, her sponsor's wife said.

  • By Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief
  • Published: 11:55 September 1, 2009
  • Gulf News

Manama: A Filipina believed to have shunned medical help was the first person to die of swine flu in Bahrain, her sponsor's wife said.

Jane Tamad Diale reportedly absconded from work as a housemaid one year ago. The Philippine embassy in Bahrain said on Monday it was working to repatriate Diale's body.

"She worked for us for one year before absconding. We followed the regular procedures in such cases and alerted the police and the labour officials about her case," said the sponsor's wife, who did not wish to be named.

"On Sunday, we received a phone call from the health informing us that Jane died from swine flu. We got a similar call from the manpower agency which helped bring her to Bahrain," she said.

Medical sources said that Diale was admitted in the Salmaniya Medical Complex in a very critical condition and that she did respond to the treatment.

Doctors believe that she could have been saved if she had contacted a health centre or the hospital earlier.

Diale, a native of Tibungco, Davao City, who reportedly had suffered from a lung condition for years, is believed to have shunned medical help to avoid being deported for running away from her sponsors.

Reports say that she was eventually taken to the Salmaniya hospital by a friend, but was already too ill to survive the health complications.

Her case prompted health officials to issue a plea to expatriates staying illegally in the country and to free visa workers who may have contracted the swine flu virus to seek medical help promptly, assuring them that they were not interested in their legal status and that there would be no questions asked or issues raised about their living in Bahrain.

  • Rate this article
  • Average reader rating (0 votes) 0 Stars
Tools

Emailing an article to friend is a simple way to share a news item. Your friend will receive an email with your name and email address as well any personal message you choose to send.

The information you provide on this page will not be used to send unsolicited emails.

This service is not intended to encourage spam, and action may be taken against individuals who maliciously enter personal details of another individual.

Share this article

Related Articles

  1. First swine flu death in Bahrain

    First swine flu death in Bahrain

  2. Asian woman is first H1N1 fatality in Bahrain

    Asian woman is first H1N1 fatality in Bahrain

  3. MoH prepares anti-swine flu plan in schools

    UAE MoH prepares anti-swine flu plan in schools

  4. Swine flu kills pregnant woman

    30-year-old pregnant woman dies due to HINI virus infection in UAE

  5. Interactive: H1N1 do's and dont's

    Interactive: H1N1 do's and dont's

    A WHO guideline to help prevent the spread of swine flu virus

More from Bahrain

  1. Bahrain schools face shortage of women teachers

  2. Morocco to train Bahrainis on preaching Islam

  3. Mumtalakat gives Gulf Air ownership to Bahrain

  4. Bahrain minister defends US missile deployment

All articles in Bahrain

More from Gulf

Gulf News
Popular in News
News Editor's choice