Governor reprimanded staff over recent stillborn controversy

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following a recent case where medical staff of the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital were blamed for the death of newborn twins, staff at the Silay City facility are under fire again after a doctor was accused of making inappropriate jokes.

In a radio interview yesterday morning, Roger Bernardio said he brought his wife, Marlyn, to a Silay City health center last June 22 after she was reportedly experiencing labor contractions. Health center staff later found the baby no longer had a heartbeat and the couple was rushed to the provincial hospital, where the baby was declared dead.

Doctors planned to induce labor in order to extract the remains of the baby; however, the mother asked if she had the option of a cesarean section, noting, neither she or her husband were familiar with the initial procedure.

Bernardio claims the doctor responded by saying, “What? Bring your husband here because I’ll perform the cesarean section on him!” He then said the doctor proceeded to laugh.
Staff of the said hospital recently received criticism after they were blamed for the death of newborn twins.

18-year-old Remarie Trayco of Barangay Concepcion, Talisay City was earlier admitted to the hospital after reporting abdominal pain. Once it was determined she was about to give birth, it was recommended she undergo a caesarean section as she was experiencing difficulty.

However, in response to the recommendation, a nurse allegedly confronted Trayco’s mother, Lisa, asking, “You are requesting for caesarean, why, do you have the money?”

She eventually gave birth to the first baby, however, the child was stillborn. The hospital later agreed to perform the caesarean section, but the second baby was also stillborn.

In a radio interview yesterday afternoon, the Trayco family said Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. visited the hospital last weekend to reprimand hospital staff, along with the administrator.

The family described Marañon as “furious” and called attention to a midwife, identified as Nieve Villalon.

While the governor told her to refrain from giving negative remarks to patients, the midwife denied the accusations.

Meanwhile, hospital chief, Dr. Estrella Ledesma, was also reportedly reprimanded.

The family have expressed plans to file a case against the hospital./DGB, WDJ