November 04, 2021
Wish list vital for Covid isolation
A Mangamuka woman who has been through Covid 19 says people need to learn what support they will need to get them through.
Rosalina Puhi is set to end her isolation today after negative tests, but her husband Manga is still in recovery.
She’s thankful for advice from her cousin Hone Harawira, who is assisting with the Taitokerau response, on how to talk to health authorities and what to ask for.
That included not just kai but topping up phone and wifi accounts, getting appliances repaired and having access to medical equipment like thermometers and oximeters when her husband’s condition deteriorated.
“I’m not a nurse. I couldn’t guess if his oxygen was right, things like that, and that is what we were struggling with the first day or two of his symptoms. Make a diary because things can change rapidly,” Ms Puhi says.
She says Māori and Pacific people often feel too proud to reach out, but there is no shame in asking for help to contain the disease.