The orphanage run by Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim Ummi houses 35 children, 26 of whom are down with Covid-19. They were only informed of their results via phone yesterday, after getting tested on May 12.

The home had been run by an elderly couple, who were fondly known as Tok Ayah and Umi.

One of the couple’s daughters, Sherry said her father died from Covid-19 last week after being admitted to Hospital Kajang on May 6.

Her mother, meanwhile, had been admitted to Hospital Sungai Buloh on the evening of May 9. She is still being treated there.

According to a Facebook post, the couple’s other children, who are all entrusted caretakers in their absence, were unable to visit the orphanage as they too were down with Covid-19.

Sherry said the children at the home were not able to cook and have been running out of food supplies.

She added that no one from the district health office had visited the home since the outbreak but that a health officer “was liaising with the eldest orphan who is 17 years old”.

She also appealed to the public for food and cash donations in order to be able to continue running the home.

According to Sherry, though the family had recently raised about RM15,000 to cover the cost of catering three meals a day for the 35 children, there were still other expenses that needed to be covered.

The society has stopped accepting donations. It says their target has been reached, and the funds collected so far can provide the children with food and medicine for two months.

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