Baby dies as mom kept from bedside over suspected COVID-19 infection

A seven-month-old baby who was tagged as a suspected case of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) passed away last April 22 at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.

According to a 24 Oras report by Athena Imperial on Tuesday, Liana Joy Palarca, who had a congenital diaphragmatic hernia, was admitted to the hospital on April 21.

She had been coughing for 10 days despite drinking her antibiotics, said her mother Jill, though respiratory problems and pneumonia were normal for Liana due to her condition.

Aside from just one lung working, Liana also had a hole in her heart wall.

When she was admitted at a private hospital, it was discovered that the infant had pneumonia, which made her a suspected COVID-19 case.

“Because nga may protocol again they said everything daw kahit na simpleng ubo lang talaga ‘yan, ‘di na raw nila iha-handle kaya we have to go to the COVID facility,” Jill said.

The next day, Jill had to transfer Liana to the SPMC and after a few hours, the baby went into cardiac arrest. They only found out about the situation a few hours later.

“Nine a.m. at tsaka kami sinabihan na this is a situation na kailangan pala ng ganitong klaseng ventilator, wala naman pala ‘yong ventilator na expected namin na dapat sa kaniya,” she said.

“All the while we thought na kaya kami matagal naghintay doon sa ER ng isang ospital kasi pini-prepare ‘yong mga gamit para sa kaniya,” Jill added.

After the baby recovered from the cardiac arrest, Jill asked the hospital staff to let her in the intensive care unit.

However, due to the baby being a suspected COVID-19 case, Jill was barred from entering the facility.

At 8 p.m. that day, Lianna passed away.

“This is not her first pneumonia so if they said na she was given the proper care, ano ‘yong ginawa dati? Bakit siya nabuhay dati at ngayon hindi? I’m raising the question kung my child’s condition was really considered so that talagang mabigyan siya ng proper care,” Jill said.

She said if she was only allowed to sign a waiver of liability and wore personal protective equipment in the ICU to help with her baby’s situation, things could have turned out differently.

The baby eventually tested negative for the virus but the hospital staff still did not let Jill see her baby one last time. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News