Main Image via The Star

A Malaysian-born doctor has been praised as a hero in Australia for preventing a full-blown coronavirus outbreak in Adelaide.

Dr Dharminy Thurairatnam , who hails from Klang, was commended by South Australia’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr Nicola Spurrier for picking up on coronavirus symptoms in an elderly woman. The possibility of a widespread community transmission could have happened  if not for the junior doctor, said Dr Spurrier.

A woman in her 80s had turned up at Lyell McEwin Hospital in Adelaide’s northern suburbs on November 20th, when Dr Dharminy  heard her cough a couple of times and thought, “They’re not getting away without having a swab,” and went ahead and swabbed the person. If not for the doctor’s quick actions they would have only found out about this in two or three weeks and they would have had widespread community transmission.

The woman had COVID-19 and it was later found that the disease had spread to 25 of her family members and their close contacts. Dr Dharminy is now in a medi-hotel as she is a close contact of a coronavirus patient.

Dr Dharminy said praise should go to the hospital’s senior consultants and staff, who were committed to teaching and patiently guided young clinicians like herself. “I was honestly just trying to do my job as best as I could,” she added.

A job well done, Dr Dharminy Thurairatnam! We are proud of your quick actions.

Info via The Star

Written by Thineshkan