Woman blames nurse's negligence for baby's death

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 05/28/2014 3:32 PM | Updated as of 05/28/2014 3:32 PM
COTABATO CITY - A female member of the indigenous group Teduray blamed a nurse for the death of her newborn baby after the nurse allegedly ignored her calls for help. The hospital, however, said the baby was born prematurely.


Marnilyn Galapin, 27, a resident of Upi, Maguindanao, complained that a nurse from Cotabato Regional and Medical Center ignored her when she was asking for help, as she was about to give birth last May 20.


She added that she called the nurse to tell her that she was about to give birth, but the nurse reprimanded her.
"Masakit na po 'yung tiyan ko. Tumawag ako ng nurse, sabi ko 'Miss', tatlong beses ako tumawag.' Sabi ko hindi ko na kaya, tapos sinagot ako nung nurse na yun na wala daw po ako sa palengke. Ba't ganun daw ako tumawag sa kanya, ang bastos ko daw. Kaya di ko napigilan ang tiyan ko, lumabas na siya. Saka pa sila umano, nung nahulog na ang baby sa baba ng bed ko."


Galapin noticed that her baby's chest was bruised. She hoped that her baby would survive, but her baby died after only a few hours.
She said that she is not planning to file charges against the hospital, but she wants the nurses involved to be removed from service.
She added that she felt that she was discriminated because she is a member of an indigenous group.


The hospital authorities are investigating the incident.
Dr. Helen Yambo, the chief of hospital, however, argued that the baby died not because of the fall, but because he was born prematurely. -- report from Albashir Saiden, ABS-CBN News Central Mindanao