MERS-CoV: Police looking for Brunei woman who escaped from Miri Hospital

Police are looking for a Brunei woman, suspected of being infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), who escaped from Miri Hospital last Friday.

Miri police chief ACP Gan Tian Kee said the 76-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital at 9.05 am last June 6 on suspicion of being infected with MERS-CoV, following her return from performing the umrah in Mekah.

He said the woman went to perform the umrah on May 10 and returned last May 22.

"She was admitted to Miri Hospital while waiting for the results of her phlegm test and other samples taken from her," he told Bernama here today.

Gan said the woman went missing from the hospital a few hours after her family, who went to the hospital, requested that she be discharged.

However, the doctor-in-charge did not allow the patient to be discharged due to health risk, he said, adding that the family members were also told that the Brunei Hospital did not want to receive the woman as their patient.

He said family members then took the woman out of Miri Hospital without a doctor's consent at 7.12 pm.

Police were informed of the incident, following which a report on her was lodged yesterday, he added.