Sealing baby’s lips common practice?

CEBU, Philippines - The Children’s Legal Bureau said the private hospital where a nurse sealed a baby’s lips with plaster should look into the incident and determine if it is an isolated incident or a usual practice.

“If it’s a practice and exposed only now, it should be cause for alarm,” she said adding that the hospital, as employer, may also be liable should the nurse be found criminally liable… The nurse could be both criminally and civilly liable,” said CLB spokeswoman and coordinator of Laban Bata Program Noemi Truya-Abarientos.

She added that if the nurse is found at fault, she should be made accountable for what she did, adding that it is child abuse in violation of Republic Act 7610.

“It is basically maltreatment of an infant,” she said.

Section 10 Article 6 of RA 7610 provides that “any person who shall commit other acts of child abuse, cruelty or exploitation or to be responsible for other conditions prejudicial to the child’s development…shall suffer the penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period”.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella’s, also a lawyer, said the hospital, police and government authorities should investigate the incident thoroughly.

 â€œThis is a very serious offense against PD 603 (Child and Youth Welfare Code), RA 7610 (Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act), RA 9262 (Violence against Women and Children) and other constitutional provisions,” Labella said.

Also stipulated in Section 166 of PD 603 is that “all hospitals, clinics and other institutions as well as private physicians providing treatment shall, within forty-eight hours from knowledge of the case, report in writing to the city, or provincial fiscal or to the local council for the protection of children or the nearest unit of the Department of Social Welfare, any case of a maltreated or abused child.”

“I urge the government and police authorities to have a thorough investigation of the ordeal,” Labella said, adding that the city government will also cooperate with these agencies to give the family justice.

No CCTV in nursery

The family of the baby is still waiting for the statement of the hospital.

“We’re only waiting kung ano ‘yung feedback nila. We are actually ready for legal actions, but depending on the actions that the hospital is going to make. Magbe-base pa kami doon. Ayaw naming maging biased kasi I don’t have a problem with the hospital,” the mother of the baby said.

The baby’s father said they are willing to pursue legal action if the system is slow and if he will not be convinced by the hospital’s reasons and actions.

“It’s not actually a service. It’s a crime,” he said.

He said during their meeting with the supervisor and acting medical doctor last Saturday, he asked for video footage in the nursery to determine what really happened but the supervisor said there was no CCTV inside the nursery, only in the lobbies and parking area.

The hospital has not issued any statement to the media either.

No Mother’s Day

The mother of the child said she could not celebrate Mother’s Day yesterday because her baby had to remain in the hospital due to an infection.

“Ayaw ko pa talaga sanang iwan si baby doon. Pero in-assure ng pediatrician na magiging okay si baby doon,” said the mother.

She said at first, she was willing to accept an apology from the nurse involved but when they went back to the hospital her story changed.

“Sinabihan kami ng nakausap namin na supervisor nila noong Saturday, ang sabi daw ng nurse na yun, nilagyan daw niya ng pacifier, baka nalaglag lang,” she narrated.

“So, doon na ako, na-change na ‘yung kahit okay na sana ‘yung apology. Kasi that was denial naman. I prefer na aminin nalang at mag-apology may chance na ma-settle pa sana,” she said.

She said that granted the nurse put a pacifier in her baby’s mouth, she questioned if this was a practice allowed by the hospital.

“What if kung nagkasipon si baby at nag-clog yung nose dahil air-conditioned ang room, at may pacifier na nilagyan ng plaster? Di namatay nalang siya sa suffocation,” she said.

She added that something worse could have happened to her baby if the plaster was not removed from his mouth. — /BRP (FREEMAN)