Bangladeshi worker who dodged death discharged after nearly 5 months

He lost 24kg and came close to death a few times, but Singapore's Covid-19 case 42 was determined to pull through.

He had to, for the sake of his wife in Bangladesh who was pregnant with their first child when he fell ill in February.

Yesterday, Mr Raju Sarker walked out of Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) - a father given a new lease of life. His son was born on March 30.

The 39-year-old Bangladeshi national had spent almost five months in hospital, half of which was in the intensive care unit (ICU).

In good spirits after his discharge, he gave the thumbs-up sign and told The Straits Times that the first thing he wanted to do was to have some mutton curry.

One of the first few foreign workers to have contracted the coronavirus, he was admitted to hospital in early February.

In mid-May, he was transferred to TTSH's rehabilitation centre.

His dramatic recovery after such a long stay in the ICU surprised doctors, said Dr Benjamin Ho, a senior consultant at the respiratory and critical care medicine department in TTSH.

Dr Ho said that Mr Sarker was a very sick patient when he was first admitted and was close to death two or three times.

"His blood pressure dropped to very low and he had very poor oxygenation. We thought he would need long-term oxygen support and were very worried that he would be one of the early deaths in Singapore," said Dr Ho, who is also the director of ICU at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases .

Despite being critically ill, Mr Sarker was determined to recover.

At the rehab centre, he did physiotherapy to build strength and cardiovascular fitness, and also saw an occupational therapist with a focus on self-care, such as showering and grooming.

He managed to put on 10kg in his five weeks at the rehab centre.

Initially he needed assistance to move around, senior physiotherapist Simon Lau said yesterday. "He was quite deconditioned and weak due to his prolonged stay in the ICU. But he was very motivated, keen to do his exercises and recover by himself, and even did his own exercises while resting in the ward."

Mr Sarker exercised daily for around two hours and took longer walks around the centre to improve his endurance when doctors gave him the go-ahead to do his own exercises independently.

The construction worker was also a curious patient, said senior staff nurse Charmaine Loh yesterday. "He asked many questions such as 'why is it like that' and 'will I get better'. We tried to teach him how to take care of himself, especially after he is discharged and no longer under direct supervision," Ms Loh said.

The biggest motivation for him to get better was his family.

Mr Raju Sarker first reported symptoms on Feb 1 and was warded at Changi General Hospital on Feb 7.

The 39-year-old Bangladeshi construction worker tested positive for the virus the next day and his condition subsequently worsened.

He was then transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) on Feb 8.

He showed signs of improvement in mid-April and was transferred from the NCID's ICU ward to a general ward in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) on April 16.

As he recovered, he was later transferred to the TTSH rehabilitation centre on May 18 where he underwent physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

He was discharged yesterday.

Mr Sarker, along with four other Bangladeshi men, was among the first foreign workers in Singapore to contract the virus. The five were linked to a cluster in Seletar Aerospace Heights where they were working to expand aerospace manufacturer Bombardier Aviation's facilities.

By March 7, the other four workers had all recovered and been discharged.

He first saw his son over a video chat in mid-April, a week after his condition improved and he had been transferred out of the ICU to a general ward in TTSH. "I cannot call when my son is sleeping," he told ST in a smattering of English, adding that the baby would stop crying when he sees his face.

The nurses said he was always looking through the photos of his family on his phone and called home frequently.

"I want to see my son and wife... I (hope to) go home in three or four months' time," he said.

For now, it is still a long road to recovery for him, his doctors said.

The coronavirus had affected him in many ways. It had caused him to have low salt and magnesium levels and poor heart function.

It also infected his lungs, and caused thyroid and kidney issues. He had to undergo dialysis to support his kidneys temporarily.

A brain scan also showed changes in his brain, something not uncommon for patients who spent extended periods in the ICU.

He is now on hospitalisation leave for two months and has to return to the hospital for follow-up visits.

When he is fit enough to start work, arrangements will be made with his employer. Senior nurse manager Magdalene Lim, who was one of the nurses who took care of him, said of his recovery as she bid goodbye when he left the hospital: "It is a beautiful success story. He was a very diligent patient."

Mr Sarker said: "Thank you, to everybody."