The Department of Health (DOH)-7 already sent its evaluation report on the “taped baby” case to its central office for validation last Friday.
After assessing it, the central office may send a team to Cebu, DOH-7 information officer Suzette Jabonette said.
She declined to elaborate the contents and said they are waiting for the official resolution to be released by an inter-agency panel on the incident next Monday, June 30.
The 11-page evaluation on the incident inside the Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House, Inc. was addressed to Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona.
The DOH-7’s administrative evaluation signed by Regional DOH-7 Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas was also submitted to the inter-agency panel last Tuesday.
Standard ratio
The panel met behind closed doors yesterday. Grace Yana, a social worker, said the panel is focused on expounding on the initial lapses identified last June 4.
These include the use of pacifiers for newborn and premature babies and an understaffed nursery that takes care of 26 babies or less than the standard ratio of one nurse to six infants for normal deliveries.
They also said taping is a form of “corporal punishment” which is considered a violation of children’s rights.
The panel cited the assigned nurse’s failure to immediately address the mother’s complaint on the plaster applied on her baby’s mouth.
Dante Jadman, Commission on Human Rights officer who chairs the inter-agency panel said their resolution has recommendations but didn’t specify the charges to be filed.
“It depends upon the lawyer of the complainants what specific charges they will be filing,” Jadman said.
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