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
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.
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