Couple files complaint vs hospital over child’s death

THE couple who said that their son died in the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) has lodged a complaint against the hospital before the Department of Health (DOH) 7.

Ligaya Moneva, DOH 7 health promotions officer and department spokesperson, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that Edalene Añosa and her husband Roldan filed the complaint before DOH 7 office in Cebu City last Thursday afternoon.

The couple was accompanied by their relatives during the filing of the complaint.

Health officials forwarded the complaint to VSMMC yesterday.

VSMMC officials were given three working days to act on the complaint, Moneva said.

But while DOH Secretary Janette Loreto-Garin has ordered the regional office to investigate the baby’s death in VSMMC, Moneva said they will allow the hospital to conduct its own inquiry before they conduct their own.

Sun.Star Cebu tried to get the side of VSMMC spokesperson Eleodoro Mongaya Jr. yesterday but calls and text messages to his cellular phone were not answered.

Labor

Edalene earlier said doctors assigned at the VSMMC’s labor room reportedly killed her baby when they attempted to force him out of his mother’s womb using normal delivery even though he was in a breech presentation.

Aside from DOH 7, Edalene also sought the assistance of the Women and Children Protection Desk of the Cebu City Police Office (WCPC) to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, the request for the exhumation of the baby was signed by his father at WCPC yesterday afternoon.

Homicide

Roldan and the infant’s aunt signed the papers because the mother had difficulty walking and had to be aided.

“The aspects of the case lean more toward homicide, and because it involves an infant it’s also ours so we’ll have a joint investigation with them,” Police Insp. Arieza Otida of the WCPC said.

The WCPC coordinated with the Homicide Section in investigating the death of John Niño.

She also sent a formal request to the medico-legal officer of the Regional Crime Laboratory, Insp. Felino Brunia, for the autopsy of the infant.

“We’ll just wait for the results of the autopsy because the baby’s burial was still recent,” she said.

John Niño died on June 5.

The doctor who first handled Edalene’s pregnancy in Lapu-lapu is also willing to give a statement to help in the investigation, Otida said.

CCPO Director Benjamin Santos hopes that VSMMC will coordinate in the inquiry because they have been sending letters to the hospital. Camille Pateres, USJ-R Masscom intern

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