MUAR: "Please look after mum and dad."
These were the last words of Nadila Rahmat, 32, who died from Covid-19 in the wee hours yesterday.
Nadila was a nurse attached to Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital's orthopaedic ward here.
She died at 12.36am after being treated at Enche Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 17 days.
Her sister, Nabiha, 26, said Nadila's last words were relayed through the phone a day after she was admitted to the ICU on April 7.
She said her sister had called their mother, Rodiah Mohd Don, 57, to update her about her health because she had to be admitted to the ICU.
When the call was made, Nabiha said the whole family was in the car heading home after being screened for Covid-19 and that her mum could barely hear her sister's voice.
"My mother gave the phone back to me and my sister told me to look after our parents. My sister said she had to be put in a medically-induced coma. My heart sank and I was reluctant to inform my parents because I did not want them to worry.
"That was the last conversation I had with her," she said before breaking down in tears.
Nadila was buried at the Serom 1 Muslim Cemetery in Sungai Mati here at noon yesterday.
Nabiha described her late sister, who was a nurse for 10 years, as a cheerful person and rarely shared her problems with the family as she did not want them to worry about her.
"My sister had been feeling sick since early this month. She had been coughing and lost her appetite, but we did not think much of it.
"Nadila told us on April 5 that she had to be quarantined at the Pagoh quarantine centre as she was suspected to be infected by Covid-19. That was the last time we met her.
"She asked our mother for a suitcase but prevented her from getting too close when our mother wanted to help her pack her things.
"My mom felt something was not right and kept her fear to herself," she said, adding that her father, Rahmat Johan, 65, and her mother constantly performed solat hajat and recited Yasin for her sister's recovery.
She said the family's worst fears came true when they received the dreaded call from the hospital at 10.30pm on Wednesday.
The hospital told them that Nadila's condition had worsened and advised the family to prepare for any possibility.
A second call was received from the hospital, informing the family that Nadila was in critical condition. The final call then came in to tell them that Nadila had died.
"We have accepted her death and will miss her greatly, especially during Ramadan as we always prepared meals together to break fast."