The daughter of an elderly woman who died at home while awaiting quarantine has criticized the government for its “total negligence” in making timely arrangements for her chronically ill mother.
During a press conference on Sunday, Chiu said via phone call that she had warned authorities that her 62-year-old mother suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, and urged them to ensure that her mother is well attended to.
“Why did they let three days go by without anyone checking on her, to evaluate her situation… and let her own daughter find out about her death,” Chiu said tearfully.
Her mother tested positive for COVID-19 post-mortem.
Chiu was admitted to the makeshift hospital at Asia World-Expo on Dec. 9 after her COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed. Her mother, a close contact, was waiting to be taken to a quarantine center.
Chiu spoke with her mother the next day, who was experiencing a blocked nose and felt lethargic. On Dec. 11, Chiu became worried when her calls to her mother went unanswered. Her mother also did not go online on WhatsApp, she said.
Firefighters found the elderly woman dead in her Tai Wai home on Dec. 12.
“I think the government is responsible for my mother’s death,” Chiu said, demanding a full explanation into what had happened.
Former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who assisted Chiu, accused the government of knowing her mother had chronic illness but did not send her to a quarantine center immediately.
He noted that hospitals are not currently lacking in quarantine bed spaces.
The woman’s untimely death has triggered criticism for the authorities’ handling of the behind-the-scenes work crucial to tamping down the virus. Negligence on the government’s part, many fear, can lead to an increased risk of the virus spreading in the community, as well as tragedies—such as the case of Chiu’s mother.
Health Secretary Sophia Chan acknowledged that the process of contacting and transporting close contacts of patients needs to be improved.
When asked if the government would apologize, Chan said that the Department of Health had “already done a lot of work.”
