Taping Incident: Hospital given until tomorrow for report

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health-7 has given Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House Inc. until tomorrow to respond to its communication for an initial investigation on the reported sealing of a newborn baby's lips with a medical tape last May 9.

"We are giving them until Friday to respond to our request for the initial investigation of the incident," said Ruth Suzette Jabonete, DOH-7 public information officer.

This, as the Cebu City Council yesterday joined those who condemned the nurse's act of taping the mouth of the five-day old boy, calling the act "insensitive and inhumane treatment."

 The incident made members of the City Council to want to pass an ordinance penalizing medical practitioners who demean their patients.

In its session yesterday, the body approved a resolution urged the Philippine Nurses Association to conduct a thorough investigation on the incident and for the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter to extend legal assistance to the infant's family in going after the nurse who committed the offense.

 City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, a lawyer, said it is now the right moment to come up with legislative interventions to safeguard the welfare and health of patients, especially children.

 "It is high time that the City of Cebu will draft an ordinance that will penalize health practitioners who commit any malpractice on their patients," he said.

 Carillo pointed out that the incident was the first time a patient has been abused, recalling a  2008 case where a patient who had a canister removed from his behind was "maltreated" by doctors and nurses who took a video footage during the operation and posted it on YouTube. 

 The City Council's committee on laws and committee on health would be drafting what would be called the "Patient's Rights Ordinance."

Yesterday, Jabonete said that if the hospital would not heed their notice, a fact-finding team would visit the hospital.

She said the DOH would conduct its own investigation should the hospital refuse to respond to the notice that it furnish DOH a copy of its report on the incident, policies and procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit and the patient's chart.

"Wala pa gyod sila mi-respond. We hope that they will respond to our inquiry. I don't think so that they would jeopardize their name, knowing that they had served the country for several years," she said.

The DOH is confident that the center would give the information it asked.

"So, far ang tanang hospital nga among gipangayoan og policy, mohatag man gyod. Wala paman gyoy nidili namo (Not one hospital has so far refused to provide us any report we asked)," Jabonete said, adding that DOH is not investigating to condemn the act but to support and mentor the hospital.

The nurse who committed the act allegedly taped the baby's lips to hold in place its pacifier, which was given because he kept on crying.  The DOH had said a pacifier is a "no-no" already.

The incident caused social media uproar when Ryan Noval, father of the baby, uploaded in his Facebook account a photo of his baby whose lips were sealed with a hospital tape.

It was earlier reported that the Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House Inc., more simply known as "maternity," is not compliant to the international standard on successful breastfeeding.

Also yesterday, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said "professionalism" must be strengthened in the medical industry to avoid a repeat of the "demeaning" incident.

He said the nurse should be penalized.

During the City Council session yesterday, City Councilor Lea Japson likewise said in a privilege speech that "the proper criminal case against the nurse for child abuse must be filed immediately to set an example to others that such conduct is not tolerated."

"There must be concrete steps to prevent the same thing happening again," she said.

 Noval told the council that they would fight for justice to served for his son.

 He hoped that the controversy generated by the incident has opened the eyes of everyone in the nursing profession. — (FREEMAN)