Rizal doctors face admin charges for infants' deaths

The Department of Health's legal services team has recommended the filing of administrative charges against the top officials of the Rizal Medical Center in connection with the deaths of several infants due to bacterial infection. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Thursday that the charges range from gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the services to simple neglect. Those recommended charged for gross neglect were Dr. Claro Faustino, the head of the pediatrics department; Dr. Maria Carmen Quevedo, head of the OB Gyne department and Dr. Josefina Carlos, chair of the infection control committee. Charges of simple neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the service will be filed against Dr. Winston Go, RMC medical center chief; Dr. Louise Marie Flores, chief nurse; Dr. Bernardita Javier, chief of the medical professional staff; and Dr. Buddy Ortego, chief of the administrative staff. Duque said aside from the filing of administrative charges, the RMC officials were also placed under preventive suspension of one to six months. However, Duque explained that the criminal aspect of the case would have to be pursued by the families or relatives of the victims as this are beyond their power. "It is not within the purview of the DOH. If there are criminal acts, it would have to be initiated by the family," Duque told reporters during a press briefing held at the main office of the health department. Out of 28 babies were born at the said hospital on Oct. 4 at the height of typhoon "Milenyo," seven died due to the bacterial infection or neonatal sepsis. Aside from filing criminal cases, Duque said that relatives of the victims could also appeal for the revocation of the medical practitioners' licenses before the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) who have jurisdiction and could undertake the necessary proceedings. The decision to file administrative charges against the RMC officials came almost a month after a DOH fact finding team cleared RMC top levels of any liability on the deaths of nine infants. Earlier Dr. Eric Tayag, NEC chief, said that 11 out of the 15 neonatal sepsis cases at the hospital on October 4 had "maternal risk factors." This meant that the babies had an infection before delivery. A mother can infect an unborn baby if she has conditions such as fever, urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection, had multiple births, or is into medication, the DOH explained. Tayag added that majority of the mothers admitted in that hospital during that time had either irregular prenatal checkups or did not have previous records from the RMC preventing doctors from effectively tracking their medical history. He said that a prenatal checkup is important so that the necessary intervention is done before delivery and is crucial to the infant’s survival. Tayag noted that a mother-to-child infection is 50 percent likely to result to death than a hospital-acquired one whose fatality rate is less than 5 percent. -GMANews.TV