Outrage on social media over death of pregnant pharmacist infected with COVID-19 due to health employees’ intransigence

CAIRO - 17 September 2021: “I am dying” is the final statement was posted by an Egyptian pregnant pharmacist posted on her Facebook account before she passed away along with her fetus because of coronavirus (COVID-19), following a rejection to be given a sick leave from her work.

 

 

Four days after publishing her post on Facebook, Israa Sami, 35 years old, passed away. 

 

On September 7, 2021, the 35-year-old pharmacist- who was working in Zaqaziq Hospital in Sharqia, Egypt’s Delta, posted that she got infected with coronavirus and transmitted the infection to her mother and brother, wishing herself a speedy recovery for the sake of her baby.

 

 

Pervasively, Sami has posted that she submitted permission for sick leave as she was also pregnant in eight months, but an employee of the Health Insurance Authority in Zagazig refused her letter and demanded her to submit tests and x-rays to confirm her pregnancy.

 

Despite the employee's intransigence, she managed to get permission from her manager, but she was later demanded to wait for approval from Cairo. Meanwhile, she was checked by a medical committee to get a certificate that says that she is pregnant, but she was also asked to wait for another week. 

 

She also explained that as a result of this delay and going to work amid the start of the fourth wave of Coronavirus in Egypt, she had contracted the infection and had to be self-isolated at home and transmitted the virus to her family members.

 

The incident sparked great outrage on social media platforms, calling for immediate investigation and holding the responsible official accountable as a result of routine, negligence and intransigence.

 

Hanan El Emam commented on Sami's death, saying that she was killed by negligence ance and intransigence.

 

Meanwhile, Ahmed tweeted that when such intransigence and routine end?

 

 روتين و تعنت...

 

The official reaction that has been taken so far is a statement by Deputy of Health Ministry in Sharqia government Hesham Shawqi Massoud to offer his condolences for the loss of the pharmacist and her baby.