Capitol to pay bills, provide milk

CEBU, Philippines - For six months, the provincial government will shoulder the hospital bills and will provide milk to the quadruplets currently confined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has directed Capitol’s social welfare office to extend all possible assistance to the family of the quadruplets. Their mother, Marcelina Omaya, 38, gave birth to the babies prematurely last July 4, about two months ahead of schedule.

She gave birth at their house in Argao before she was brought to VSMMC.

“Ato nang gi-direct ang atong social welfare to extend all possible assistance. First, financially, as well as in kind, like gatas primarily kay importante kayo,” Garcia said.

Marivic Garces, head of the Cebu Provincial Health Welfare and Development Office, said Omaya’s family went to the office earlier to ask for help.

“Pag first day when they went to the office, gipasaligan namo sila nga kami maoy mo-shoulder sa expenses sa hospital bills and we sent partial supply of milk kay nisugot naman lang ang doctor nga i-bottle feed kay upat man kabuok,” Garces said.

More milk were sent to the hospital yesterday afternoon.

VSMMC doctors explained earlier that the sensitive state of the babies is normal because they are products of multifetal pregnancies. The babies – two boys and two girls - weigh 850 grams to 1,400 grams with a size of 36 centimeters to 37 centimeters.

Laboratory tests showed all four babies are suffering from infection. They have also manifested yellowish discoloration, a sign that their bodies’ are responding to bacteria. One of the four has a congenital deformity, but doctors said the cleft lip can be fixed through minor surgery.

Doctors declared the babies stable after two days of intravenous therapy.

Baby Girl II, Baby Girl III and Baby Boy IV are confined at the neonatal intensive care unit, while Baby Boy I is at the pediatric ward. Dr. Joseph Al L. Alesna, VSMMC chief for special concerns, said Baby Boy I is being isolated because he might be carrying a different type of organism since he was born in a different environment.

The babies might have to stay at the hospital for a long time until doctors are able to control the infection. They have to grow steadily by about 30 grams a day.  (FREEMAN)