Baby Burns to Death Inside an Incubator in Zamboanga

Baby Burns to Death Inside an Incubator in Zamboanga

 Tuesday, October 23, 2012

October 23, 2012

A four-day-old baby died on Monday allegedy after suffering from burns inside an improvised incubator at a hospital in Zamboanga City.

The victim's father, Mario Libron, said doctors at the Zamboanga City Medical Center placed his baby inside an incubator with an attached bulb since the hospital does not have a regular incubator. Part of the baby's body bore burns supposedly sustained from the intense heat produced by the bulb.

Libron said doctors subjected the baby to an X-ray test because the latter was unusually small. He, however, believes his baby was healthy. Libron has already filed a complaint against the hospital before the Zamboanga City Police. He said he and his wife decided that the latter give birth in Zamboanga City. They were from Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Update

Meanwhile, an official of Zamboanga City Medical Center has denied that the baby died because of the hospital incubator.

Dr. Romeo Ong, medical director of the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC), said he has ordered an investigation as to what happened to the baby who was allegedly burned to death inside the hospital's incubator.

Ong said he spoke to the baby's neonatologist, Dr. Jeffrey Masilungan, who has denied the incident. "The baby was delivered prematurely, 1.4 kilos lang. As of now what we know is that the baby had culminal sepsis, a very severe type of infection, and also suffered from jaundice," he said.

Ong explained that the effect of culminal sepsis is that the skin will develop blisters. “Parang nasunog nga talaga. It's part of the effect of the infection,” he said. Ong also said their incubator could not have burned the baby as the temperature is controlled and if something goes wrong it will set off an alarm that will alert the nurses and doctors.

He also added that they do not have enough incubators and that there was reportedly another baby in the incubator with the baby who was allegedly burned. "Kung dalawa yun, dapat dalawa yung nasunog,” he said. However, Ong said he is open to possibilities like negligence or equipment failure, which is why he is having the incident investigated.

October 3, 2010 Incident

A premature baby was slightly burned at Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) when the fluorescent lamp inside an incubator exploded. The incubator is consisting of a box designed to maintain a constant temperature by the use of a thermostat; used for premature infants.

Reports said the baby sustained second degree burns to the face and neck when the incubator's fluorescent lamp suddenly exploded. According to the report, the lamp's shattered glass hit the baby's face and neck. The baby was given immediate medical attention.

It was learned from a local media report, the premature baby was placed inside an incubator last week at the said hospital. The report said there was a black out in the hospital and the lamp exploded due to the surge of power when electricity was restored.

It said the baby is now in stable condition. But the hospital physician blamed the accident to the rotating blackout in the city. Although the doctor admitted to local reporters that it is no longer safe to use their old and improvised incubators, sources said.

Sources: ABS-CBN News and Zamboanga Today Online

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