The father of a newborn baby who was declared dead by hospital staff but was later found to be alive -- only to die shortly afterward -- said on Tuesday that they are not asking for money or assistance from the government, only justice for their child. INQUIRER FILES
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro -- The father of a newborn baby who was declared dead by hospital staff but was later found to be alive -- only to die shortly afterward -- said on Tuesday that they are not asking for money or assistance from the government, only justice for their child.
Kingmhar Salawi, 20, denied claims by Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor that the provincial government had extended support following the tragic incident at the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital (OMPH).
"What help? That's his hospital -- of course, he'll try to cover it up. We don't accept, nor are we asking for, even a single peso of financial assistance. What we want is justice. We've already lost hope that the officials here in Oriental Mindoro will help us," Salawi said in a message.
Salawi recounted that on October 16, while working at a gas station in Barangay Canubing II, Calapan City, he received a call from a relative saying his wife, Princess Bea, was in labor.
They rushed to OMPH, arriving at around 6 p.m., and his wife was brought to the delivery room. Shortly after, Salawi said a nurse informed him that no fetal heartbeat could be detected.
"I was told to prepare some things we might need. After about two hours, I was informed that the baby was gone and had been taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)," Salawi said in Filipino.
Salawi was then instructed to bring a box, where the baby's body was laid, sealed with tape. The family brought the remains back to their home in Canubing.
The next day, around 1 p.m., while cleaning the baby's body, family members noticed signs of movement and excretion. Alarmed, they called a Barangay Health Worker (BHW) to examine the baby.
"The BHW contacted a former nurse from OMPH to ask how to check if the baby was still alive. After checking, she said the baby still had a heartbeat and advised us to take him to a private hospital," Salawi said.
The baby was rushed to the Sta. Maria Village Hospital (SMVH, where staff reportedly detected a heart rate of 60-80 beats per minute. The infant was intubated and placed in an incubator, but unfortunately died a short time later.
"We were confused because even hours after he was declared dead, our baby's body was still pinkish and not stiff," he added.
In a statement posted by the Oriental Mindoro Public Information Services Division, OMPH expressed condolences and clarified its version of the events. The hospital said that at the time of delivery, their medical team found no fetal heartbeat and declared it a case of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) or stillbirth, following established medical protocol.
"Contrary to circulating claims, based on the clinical findings of our doctors and nurses at the time of examination, there was no recorded fetal heartbeat while the baby was still in the womb. Because of this, the case was classified as intrauterine fetal death or stillbirth," OMPH said.
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On Oct.19, Dolor issued a separate statement, expressing sympathy for the family and assuring the public that an investigation would be conducted.
"I grieve with the family in this tragic moment," Dolor said, adding that assistance had been extended and that he had ordered a thorough investigation backed by medical data to uncover the truth.
However, Salawi insisted that the family has not received any form of help and said his father-in-law has begun coordinating with the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) for possible legal action./coa/abc