Findings on infant deaths assailed

A group of doctors and health workers assailed yesterday the investigating teams that absolved officials of the Rizal Medical Center (RMC) in Pasig City where nine newborn babies died of sepsis two weeks ago.

In a statement, the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) said the findings made by the teams are "a prescription for whitewash through victim-blaming, as shown by the deliberate misinterpretation of facts by government authorities."

HEAD noted the Department of Health (DOH) should not use the report "to cover-up and provide convenient alibi that will exculpate those who should be held accountable for the infants’ death."

Last Oct. 4, 15 babies born at the RMC acquired sepsis or blood infection.

Nine of them, including two born prematurely, later died, prompting the DOH to create a five-man fact-finding committee to look into the incident. Experts from the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center have also helped in the investigation.

The two teams found out that the infection was not acquired by the babies from the hospital, but from their own respective mothers.

But Health Secretary Francisco Duque III maintained that the officials are "not yet off the hook" as they would be investigated for findings that sepsis cases in the hospital had significantly increased this year.

HEAD, however, claimed the reports are being "misread as proof of innocence by the RMC management and staff."

According to HEAD officer Dr. Geneve Rivera, mother-to-child transmission of sepsis is not new.

"(But) it is precisely to prevent this that deliveries in a hospital setting should be under very strict aseptic (clean) conditions. Yet in the RMC cases, there was clear failure in complying with the basic requisites of sepsis. That is why a lot of infants were infected."

Rivera said that by speculating that the infection was acquired from the mothers, the DOH has conveniently passed the blame on them.

"If either the mother or the newborn was already showing signs of illness, why were they sent home? Why were precautionary steps not undertaken? Worse, when the mothers and their children were returning with obvious signs and symptoms of infection, why was there no aggressive intervention?" she asked.

Dr. Gene Nisperos, HEAD secretary general, said such negligence is not confined to RMC alone.

"The DOH has units that are tasked specifically to monitor cases like these and ensure strict adherence to protocols regarding disease surveillance and infection control," Nisperos said.