PETALING JAYA: A distraught young mother has claimed that she lost her unborn child after police stopped her from leaving home for a medical check-up.
The woman from Bandar Baru Sentul, Kuala Lumpur claimed she was scheduled for a doctor’s appointment on July 6, and had informed the police she was bleeding. She was nine weeks pregnant.
After bleeding for three days, she was finally allowed to go to her regular clinic but said by then “my child had died”.
“It was on July 9, on my birthday with a dead child in my womb,” she said.
Recalling her harrowing experience, the 29-year-old sobbed from the trauma, which she said was unnecessary.
“I am so sad. I want this to go public to create awareness so that no one is denied treatment for a medical emergency,” she told FMT.
“I hope no other mother loses her child because of EMCO,” she said.
Her 32-year-old husband told FMT that they had lodged a police report in Sentul.
He said his wife was scheduled for a check-up on July 6 after a scan on June 26 showed that she was bleeding.
Her doctor considered her to be a high-risk case as she had previously experienced a miscarriage, he said.
However, on July 3, a lockdown under the enhanced movement control order was imposed at their residential area in Bandar Baru Sentul.
The following day, he went to enquire with Sentul police and was told his wife would be allowed to leave the area for medical reasons.
However, on the day of the appointment on July 6, the police forbade them from leaving due to new SOPs, and told him to contact the mobile medical team.
When the team arrived three hours later at 3.30pm, they checked his wife’s blood pressure. The doctor asked if they wanted to be referred to Kuala Lumpur Hospital, but were told to wait while the case was being referred to a gynaecologist.
“At 4.30pm, we were told my wife’s case was normal. She was told to continue taking her medicine and call 999 if she began bleeding heavily,” he said. The doctor prescribed some tablets and issued a sick leave chit.
On July 9, he again went to the police at 2pm to inform them of his wife’s condition. This time, police finally allowed him to take his wife to a clinic but when they arrived, they were told there was no heartbeat from their unborn child.
Sentul district police in a statement confirmed receiving a complaint on the matter.
Sentul OCPD assistant commissioner Beh Eng Lai said investigations revealed that the husband was advised to refer the matter to health ministry officers who were also on duty at the EMCO area.
Beh said further investigations on the matter are ongoing and appropriate action will be taken.
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