Mother praises hospital for baby's recovery from measles

By Talaia Mika 04 December 2019, 2:00PM

A woman who at one time took her child to traditional healers out of desperation, has credited hospital staff for her 13-month-old baby's full recovery from measles.

Selafina Puai, 36, was on her way home to Salesatele in Falealili with her baby on Tuesday when she broke the good news to the Samoa Observer.

She said she was grateful for bringing her baby to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole National Hospital at Motootua, after her condition deteriorated further following a visit to traditional healers.

“Seeing so many babies with heart felt pain and with many of them passing away gave me less hope that my baby was going to make it,” she said.

“I know I shouldn’t think like that but given how my baby wasn’t able to move, talk or eat just broke my heart.”

The baby was infected with measles for two weeks and hospitalised at the national hospital on her second week. But to her surprise, doctors advised last weekend that her daughter is slowly recovering.

“I just have no one else to thank but the heavenly father for his unconditional love for my baby,” she added. 

The mother said they were then moved from one ward to another, including the hospital’s intensive care unit as her daughter’s recovery progressed and were discharged on Tuesday.

Having lived in the hospital for over two weeks, Mrs Puai had the chance to see hospital staff working in the frontlines of the measles epidemic.

“I’ve witnessed the pressure and the hard work the doctors and nurses have done for our people and they’re doing a great job tirelessly,” she said. 

“I believe our doctors and nurses need a lot of our prayers to help them through the difficult responsibilities they’re doing.”

Mrs Puai said overcoming the measles epidemic could be a test of faith for Samoans, and her baby’s recovery confirms that the ordinary people can fight back against the epidemic.

"It might be just a test of our faith but I know and my child is living proof of what I'm saying so Samoa, let's fight this measles,' she said.

By Talaia Mika 04 December 2019, 2:00PM
Samoa Observer

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>