Council says CCMC explosion an accident

CEBU, Philippines - While the panel of investigators created by Mayor Michael Rama has yet to conduct investigation on the bulb explosion at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), the legislative department had already wrapped up its investigation.

Rama has created a panel of investigators to check the incident last February 20 while Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young tasked Councilors Margarita “Margot” Osmeña and Ronald Cuenco to conduct an inquiry.

“We already finished our investigation and we are done. It’s futile to point anybody as everybody agrees that it was an accident,” Margot told The Freeman.

The mayor has instructed former city health officer Dr. Tomas Fernandez, City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez and City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete to proceed with the inquiry.

But Margot clarified that she just wants City officials to work closely to come up with safety measures in CCMC so the accident won’t happen again.

The City Council conducted a separate investigation on the incident where three newborn babies suffered from burn injuries when the bulb of a gooseneck lamp, which was used to keep the babies warm, exploded.

The incident was publicized after Margot received a text message last Feb. 24 about what happened at the pediatric ward of the CCMC.

Immediately after receiving the message that morning, she and Councilors Alvin Dizon and Edgardo Labella as well as Rep. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar went to the hospital.

Rama visited the hospital that Feb. 24.

In a press conference yesterday, Young said the Council is not recommending sanctions or who is liable for the incident, citing that it’s up to the executive department to give sanctions.

Young said the Council special committee recommends that there is a need to replace the bulb to halogen and for the city to purchase radiant warmer beds.

Young also told reporters that he and members of the council received the incident report submitted by CCMC officer-in-charge Eduardo Sedoripa.

But the report of Sedoripa, according to Young, is “nothing and irrelevant.” He also observed that there are lots of discrepancies in the report especially inconsistency of the dates.

He cited that when the explosion occurred last February 20, there was already an incident report made. Also, the City Hospital Ethics Committee has already conducted a preliminary report that was dated February 23.

“To me, their reports are irrelevant, mura’g cut and paste lang ba. It’s very late,” Young said.

As of yesterday, Kean Karl Villarico, a baby who suffered from three-degree burns, still remains at the Intensive Care Unit of Chong Hua Hospital while Baby Boy Ybañez is already out of danger and was taken out from the ICU.

Michelle, 19, and Roland, 25, the parents of baby boy Kean, went to the Office of the Vice Mayor seeking assistance.

“Karon kinahanglan gyud abunohan og duha ka bag nga dugo. Kay anemic man gud siya,” Michelle said. She said that her baby needs to undergo face surgery.

Michelle, a housewife, and Roland, who is a baker, said they are not planning to file any case against the administration of the hospital saying that they have no money for a legal case.

Under the waiver that they have signed, it was stipulated that they voluntarily agreed that they will not file any claims against the CCMC. –(FREEMAN)