HARRY Morgan Visaya’s parents were hoping to throw a party for his first birthday in October.
Instead, they had to organize a wake and, this afternoon, his burial.
Haryl Visaya and his live-in-partner Marife Ylaya plan to file a complaint against the St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital (SAMCH), where the baby was confined for less than a week.
Hospital officials assured Harry’s parents they will conduct their own investigation to find out if any lapses were committed that led to the eight-month-old boy’s death.
The Department of Health (DOH) 7 also plans to investigate as soon as the parents file a complaint before Dr. Jaime Bernadas, the regional director, said Ligaya Moneva of DOH 7.
According to its website, SAMCH is a 25-bed government hospital that specializes in obstetric, gynecologic and pediatric patients. It began operating 24 years ago.
Harry’s death certificate stated he died after suffering from acute gastroenteritis and hypotensive shock.
The boy’s mother told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that last June 2, she brought Harry to a doctor because he had loose bowel movements. The doctor, she said, recommended that she change the baby’s formula and asked her to buy some rehydration solution and anti-diarrhea medication.
But at 2 p.m. the next day, Harry had to be admitted to SAMCH after his condition failed to improve.
From June 3 to 4, Marife said, she noticed that her son was slowly recovering after medical personnel gave him intravenous fluids.
Weaker
But in the evening of June 4, Marife recalled she had to administer an oral rehydration solution after the needle that connected to the baby’s IV fluid was dislodged.
A certain Dr. Lampayan reportedly told Marife that they might have to reconnect her son’s IV fluids in the morning since they had a hard time looking for a blood vessel, with the light above them being so weak.
The morning after, Dr. Venus Barte took over Dr. Lampayan’s shift and, according to Marife, told her they would try to reconnect Harry’s IV needle.
Barte, Marife said, explained to them that they needed to reconnect the IV fluids because the baby was slowly becoming weaker.
Barte punctured Harry’s arms four times but failed to administer the IV fluid, she said.
The next day, Harry’s condition worsened.
“Mura gyud siya’g giuhaw. Mangilog na lang gyud siya sa dropper para lang makainom (He seemed very thirsty. He grabbed the dropper),” said Michelle Ylaya, Marife’s older sister.
For transfer
When Marife and her family checked on Harry the next day, June 6, he was already at the nurses’ station, being treated by medical personnel.
Dr. Barte and the nurses at the ward reportedly suggested to the family to feed Harry through a nasogastric tube (NGT) since they couldn’t find a vein on the boy’s arms to administer IV fluids.
The doctor also reportedly suggested that they bring the boy to another hospital immediately.
Marife and her older sister, Michelle, recommended bringing the boy to Chong Hua Hospital.
But the boy’s father, Haryl, who accompanied the ambulance that transported his son, later told his partner that they went to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) upon Barte’s advice.
Upon arriving at VSMMC, Marife and her sister confronted Dr. Barte. The doctor reportedly said that Harry should be admitted in VSMMC because the tertiary hospital’s services are similar with those in any private hospital, but cost less.
“Dili kuno siya gusto nga adto mi sa Chong Hua kay dako kaayo ang downpayment kay P80,000 dayon dili ra kuno mi matagad didto. Pero pagcheck nako sa akong kaila sa Chong Hua, dili man ing-ana kadako ang down payment (She said we would be asked to give a down payment of P80,000 at Chong Hua, but one of our acquaintances at the hospital told us they wouldn’t ask for that much),” Michelle said.
Referral
Even when he was brought to the VSMMC, Harry showed no sign of recovery.
Harry eventually died around 6:30 a.m. of June 7.
Marife and her live-in-partner plan to lodge a complaint before the DOH 7 after they bury their son this afternoon.
In an interview with radio DyLA yesterday, SAMCH’s medical director said they are willing to investigate the personnel involved in Harry’s treatment.
But Dr. Robert Denopol, SAMCH medical director, believed that the hospital’s doctors and nurses did their best to save the child.
“Naa man mi kasingkasing, di mahitabo nga pasagdan namo ang among pasyente. In fact, si Dr. Barte mikuyog pa gyud pag-refer sa bata ngadto sa Sotto (We are not heartless. We would never neglect our patients. In fact, Dr. Barte went with them to refer the baby to the VSMMC),” Denopol told DyLA.
Dr. Denopol said it is also the hospital’s policy to explain to the family their patient’s status.
“Kon di na gani na makaya sa hospital, anha pa na namo i-refer sa laing hospital (We refer a patient to another hospital only when we cannot manage the case on our own),” he added.