Midwives in Badian Birthing Clinic to Face Charges

A woman who gave birth in a trisikad last month formally filed a criminal complaint against the midwifes of Badian Birthing Center before the office of the Deputy Ombudsman Visayas Tuesday.

Regina Javierto, accompanied by her husband Benjamin, 44, of Barangay Campang-og, Badian asked Deputy Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol to investigate the incident wherein she was allegedly denied the services of the birthing center in their town.

Regina, in her sworn affidavit, alleged that on July 20 she went to their birthing center but the midwives there reportedly turned her down, hence she hailed a trisikad to bring her to Badian District Hospital. While en route, she gave birth to her child, which eventually died after falling off from the trisikad.

Benjamin said that at around 5:00 am of that day, he arrived home after fetching water from the nearby well when his wife, who was seven-month pregnant with their child, complained of abdominal pain. He said he let his wife change clothes and then they rushed to the Badian Birthing Center. Once they got there, Benjamin said one Luzviminda Bruce, a personnel of the birthing center, took his wife’s parental card.

He said another midwife, Ma. Beatriz Vasquez , approached them but they were allegedly told that: “Dili mahimo nga ari diri manganak kay seven months..” and that they had no incubator there. Vasquez allegedly told them to go to the hospital instead.

“I was dismayed when I went outside but I told them: aw dili jud mu mutabang og unsay dangatan manubag ra unya mo,” he said in his affidavit.

It was at this juncture when the couple left, and outside Luzviminda hailed for a trisikad and let them ride in it to the hospital.

The affidavit continued that Benjamin told the trisikad driver to speed up because “my wife was about to give birth so that we can reach the hospital. He said his wife was complaining that she could not hold it any longer and subsequently gave birth aboard the trisikad. “Unfortunately, the baby went through the trisikad’s floor and fell down the road thus dragging the baby with her head broken,” he narrated.