By JEN BAYLON

The Bago City government said a fact-finding process will be conducted following the reported death of a newborn baby allegedly due to medical mishandling at the Bago City Hospital on February 18.

“The committee will examine all events that transpired to determine whether hospital practices were appropriate,” Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo said yesterday.

“If the fact-finding committee discovers inappropriate actions or inadequate care for our patient, then we will take further action,” he added.

The mayor cannot specify yet what those actions would be, but “there will be consequences.”

Concerns have been raised regarding alleged deficiencies in training for midwives and inadequate equipment at the city hospital, which may have contributed to the baby’s death.

According to the child’s mother, she intended to give birth at Valladolid District Hospital, but was redirected by the City Health Office to Bago City Hospital due to an urgent situation.

The mother reported enduring more than 12 hours of labor, and requested a cesarean section due to complications.

However, she claimed that midwives insisted on a normal delivery.

The newborn reportedly ingested contaminated materials, leading to its death.

The father of the infant also recounted troubling events during labor, stating that he was not allowed into the delivery room until after attempts were made to revive their child.

He described hearing a doctor criticize the midwife’s actions during the procedure.

Meanwhile, Yulo expressed deep condolences following the incident.

“We share in the hardship and sadness of this incident that occurred at the Bago City Hospital. We extend our condolences to the family, especially to the mother involved,” he said.

“We cannot say enough to bring back the baby. We are deeply saddened alongside the family. What we will do is whatever we can to alleviate the emotional burden of those affected,” he added.

He confirmed that the Department of Social Welfare and Development has been instructed to reach out to the family to offer assistance and inquire about their needs.

Yulo reiterated the city government’s commitment to ongoing education for medical staff.

“There will always be ongoing education — training that they need to undergo for their practice,” he said.

The parents are now calling for justice for their child’s death, demanding accountability from those involved in their care./JB, WDJ