Father of ‘taped’ baby starts online campaign
While hospital staff in Cebu City deny knowing who taped the mouth of a newborn boy, the father, Ryan Noval, is taking his grievance to a wider campaign using social media.
The Fil-Am bicycle advocate launched a Facebook page “Unofficial: Breaking the Silence”, which he calls “a new call to action to protect the innocents.”
The site is “dedicated to help expose maltreatment and malpractice of babies behind hospital nursery doors” and would be a “chronicle of events about Yohannes Noval”.
“They who cannot speak or fight can find their voice and be defended,” he wrote.
Lawyer Cornelio Mercado and other officials of the Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House Inc. met yesterday with the fact-finding committee of the Department of Health (DOH).
Mercado told Cebu Daily News the hospital would submit today the incident report, protocols, procedures, and policies of the maternity hospital as requested by the DOH 7.
He earlier said none of the four nurses and midwife on duty on May 9 owned up to taping the upper mouth of baby Yohannes to hold a pacifier.
Mercado has questioned why the parents raised their grievance in social media. The Cebu City Council said the hospital cannot proceed without a formal written complaint.
He added that there is no supply of one-inch wide tape in the hospital similar to the one covering the upper mouth and cheeks of baby Yohannes as photographed by the mother Jasmine Badocdoc.
Asked if they would investigate the staff in the previous shift, he said: “No, I think we will focus on the accused and involved.”
Asked to comment on a statement by the CHR-7 that the hospital management could be sued, the lawyer said “The management is not a person.
The liable person is the one who taped the baby.”
Lilibeth Llona, investigator of Commission on Human Rights (CHR-7) told the reporters that since there’s no Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) to identify the culprit, the inquiry could extend to staff on the previous shift.
“Having a CCTV inside the nursery room is an advantage in identifying who taped the baby,” Llona added.
The parents went to the CHR 7 office last Friday to speak to Llona.
Noval, the baby’s father, said the hospital staff’s denial would not dissuade the couple from seeking justice for their child or to call attention to lapses in the “system” or nursing industry that need to be corrected.
“It’s part of their standard protocol that they will deny since it is a big issue,” Noval said.
“Let me tell the rest of the world. Me, my girlfriend and my family are one. What we are going through is a burden; it’s not easy,” he added.
“There’s no fabrication of what we say. And about their allegations, there must be a thorough investigation by both parties,” Noval said.
Noval said the couple has been struggling to get enough rest since their son came home last week and the stress of wide publicity over the alleged infant abuse in the hospital nursery, a story that has gone viral in the Internet and in publications from Europe to the United States.
“Life’s not the same. It’s awkward when we walk down the street. People look at you weird. It maybe okay for me but it’s not okay for my girlfriend (Jasmine),” he added.
“We’re tired. Our friends tell us to just keep calm and not take any negative action,” Noval said.
He said he’s willing to issue a written complaint: “It’s okay and not a problem. It will be available.”
“I think we made the formal complaint (verbally) with the board last week and I don’t know what was not clear to them,” he said.
The couple first complained to the information desk of the maternity center on May 9 immediately after the baby’s mother went to the nursery to breast feed and saw her son with his upper lip taped.
When she asked the nurse why, the still unnamed nurse said the baby was “noisy” and his cries would wake up the others. It was later found out that the tape was used to secure a pacifier in the baby’s mouth which had fallen out.
“Whatever the hospital does, it’s up to them,” said Noval yesterday.
While the board of directors assured Noval they would investigate his complaint and update him of the progress, after a week of no word, Noval went to the center yesterday noon.
“If we just wait for their call and results then it’s total crap , so we initiate to go there,” he said.
“It wasn’t so productive but soon you’ll know what we have been doing. We need rest and let’s see how will they react tomorrow.”
Noval said the process was “slow” and that he believes another entity , even another government, should step in to investigate.
Asked if he was referring to the US government since he’s a Fil-American, Noval said “I would not disclose that.”
Related Stories:
Infant’s mouth taped to hold a pacifier – is that safe protocol?
‘Taped’ baby comes home; father says nurse’s lapse shows need ‘to fix the system’