Last of quadruplets dies; charges mulled

The last of the all-girl quadruplets, who were allegedly denied treatment in hospitals after their birth, died late Thursday night at the pediatric intensive care unit of the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Ma. Jobel Calisaan died at around 11:45 p.m., only hours after her three sisters were buried at the La Loma Catholic Cemetery.

"I was with her when she died. I was with her all the time. I prayed that she could live longer but if it’s God’s will to take her from us, so be it," said the quadruplets’ father, Vladimir.

Ma. Jobel, who was renamed Milagrosa Jobel, was buried yesterday afternoon at the grave of her three sisters — Ma. Angelica, Ma. Angeline and Ma. Therese.

The quadruplets’ parents said that even if Jobel lived only for a few days, they still considered her a "miracle baby" since she outlived her three sisters. Thus, they decided to change her name from Ma. Jobel to Milagrosa Jobel.

According to Dr. Ruben Flores, director of the Fabella hospital, Jobel died of sepsis neonatorum or infection of the newborn, respiratory distress syndrome, prematurity and extremely low birth weight.

Flores added that Jobel was well-covered by antibiotics and underwent blood transfusion and other life-saving care but she still did not make it.

"Because the baby was born premature, her resistance was very low. Her immune system and lungs were immature. Even in good setting, infection can set in. There are bacteria in the air. We are sad we are not able to save her," Flores said.

The quadruplets were born in a lying-in clinic in Caloocan City last Tuesday. Their mother was only in her sixth month of pregnancy. Shortly after birth, the babies, who weighed only from 500 to 1000 grams, were transferred to the nearby Manila Central University (MCU) Hospital, which allegedly treated them shabbily after the hospital staff learned that their parents could not afford to pay the hospital bills.

The babies were transferred to the Fabella hospital but three of them died hours later.

The quadruplets’ father told The STAR that he and his wife, Jocelyn, might pursue charges against the MCU hospital to prevent other people from experiencing what they had gone through.

"Justice must be served to my children. We want these (MCU) people to learn their lessons or more babies will die unnecessarily and more families will suffer from this," Vladimir said.

The Department of Health has formed an independent body that would take over the investigation of the quadruplets’ death from the DOH Bureau of Health Facilities and Services.

According to Dr. Margarita Galon, DOH undersecretary for Luzon, they had to take out the bureau from the investigation to avoid suspicions of whitewash because the bureau issues licenses to hospitals and other health facilities.

The new team will be composed of retired Judge Samilo Barlongay (chairman); Dr. Bu Castro of the Philippine Medical Association’s Commission on Legislation/Ethics; Dr. Cynthia Cuayo Juico of the Philippine Pediatrics Society; Dr. Rosalinda Arandia, an obstetrician and director of the Quirino Memorial Medical Center, and Lawyer Angelito Grande, corporate secretary of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

The team was given 15 days to wrap up the investigation.