COVID-19 Patient Who Went Missing For A Day Found Hiding In Garden Near His House
The 69-year-old man went into hiding when an ambulance arrived at his house to pick him up.
By Daranee Balachandar — 15 Jun 2021, 01:37 PM
A COVID-19 patient who ran away after finding out he tested positive for the virus on Sunday, 13 June, was found hiding in a garden near his house in Sandakan, Sabah
The 69-year-old man was reported missing when a medical team visited his home in the Tongod district to notify him that he had tested positive for COVID-19, reported The Star.
"He was asked to get ready as an ambulance would be sent to pick him up at noon, and they saw that he started packing," said Kinabatangan district police chief Supt Dzulbaharin Ismail.
He was told that he would be taken to the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan for treatment.
However, when the ambulance arrived at the patient's home in Kampung Kuala Tongod to pick him up on Sunday afternoon, he was nowhere to be found
"They knocked on his door but no one answered, so they assumed that he had gone to the district clinic on his own," Dzulbaharin said.
When the medical officials got back to the Tongod Health Clinic, they did not see the elderly man either. They were not able to contact him by phone as well.
Bernama reported that the health team waited at the clinic for the man to turn up, but he was a no-show.
A police report was later lodged. It led to a manhunt as it was feared that the man could infect others.
After the senior citizen was found hiding in the garden near his house, he was handed over to the health personnel for further action
According to another report by Bernama, the man was found at around 6.50pm yesterday, 14 June. He went missing for more than a full day.
Dzulbaharin said that the case is being investigated under Section 22(b) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 for refusing to follow instructions to be treated, transferred, or quarantined for a disease, reported Berita Harian.
The COVID-19 patient will also be investigated under Section 269 of the Penal Code for committing negligent acts that will likely spread infection of any disease dangerous to others.
