Bangladesh COVID-19 woman receives gifts from police after giving birth to child

The police have again gone far beyond their call of duty in the time of coronavirus crisis which has also brought to the fore their humane and benevolent social work apart from enforcing the lockdown.

In a heartening gesture, they have sent fruits and baby foods to a coronavirus-positive woman who they moved to hospital for delivery when she was struggling to find transport due to her COVID-19 symptoms.

After reaching the Dhaka Medical College Hospital or DMCH last Monday, the woman from Old Dhaka gave birth to a baby boy, said Bangshal Police OC Md Shaheen Fakir.

The mother and her child returned home after spending two days at the hospital and they were doing fine, OC Shaheen said, and added that the gifts were sent on Sunday afternoon.

The seasonal fruits in the gift package included watermelon, pineapple, banana, mango, apple, malta and lemon.

They also sent six kilograms of rice, including one kilogram of polau rice, two kilograms of potato, sugar, salt, oil, onions, 500g of milk, two packets of lachchha vermicelli, a baby lotion and two bars of soap.

The newborn will undergo coronavirus testing a week later, the hospital administration said. The police will transport the family during that time as well.

On May 6, in sheer desperation the woman came to the police with coronavirus symptoms after failing to get a ride to the hospital. Turned away by several hospitals, she was tested at DMCH and given a ride back home with some food by the police. Her tests came back positive.

The baby boy is the woman’s second child. She has a seven-year-old son and his husband is an employee at a shop in Naya Bazar.