Crisis Head Tells: Why Close 2 in Jobs

Pita was a healthy and strong baby. This was not until Saturday July 17, 2021.

He fell sick. His temperature started rising. His parents sponged him, a method they repeated for the next two days.

“He just started having a fever because of his baby teeth that were starting to grow,” Ms Tavabulabula said.

He was eating well. His temperature dropped every time he was sponged. He slept well on Saturday night.

The next morning his parents noticed his temperature had started to increase again. There was also a rapid increase in his breathing rate.

Baby Pita’s condition worsened on Monday. His father Mr Davui hesitated about going to work that morning.

Mr Davui had just been employed as a carpenter with Ram’s Maintenance. He was working inside the Korovou Prison compound.

His instincts had the better of him. He returned home that fateful morning. Upon his return, his family members were trying to calm his son.

By this time, Baby Pita was displaying severe symptoms of pneumonia according to his mother. The couple quickly took him to the CWM Hospital emergency department.

It was after 3pm. Only Ms Tavabulabula and baby Pita were allowed inside the holding tent outside the emergency department.

The holding tent is where patients are tested and sorted into COVID and non-COVID patients.

Ms Tavabulabula said the doctor who attended to them was agitated because the couple did not go to the nearest Health centre.

The family resides in Delaivalelevu in Khalsa Rd. The nearest Health facility is the Valelevu Health Centre.

“We informed the doctor that we had only brought my baby to CWM Hospital because of what was happening to him.”

Baby Pita and his mother were swabbed were confirmed positive of COVID-19. They were advised by the doctor to wait until baby Pita’s breathing slowed down.

Baby Pita was put on oxygen. He was responding well to his mother. But, this wasn’t for long.

“A student nurse had given my son an injection, I don’t know what it was, but after a while the baby’s health started to deteriorate,” Ms Tavabulabula claimed.

She further claimed that the student nurse had said it was to protect baby Pita from COVID-19.

“I was surprised because we know that Dr Fong had already mentioned that there was yet to be a vaccine for those below the age of