CEBU CITY -- Both the executive and legislative departments need to work together in investigating a bulb explosion at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) that hurt three infants the other Sunday, Councilor Margarita Osmeña said.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has created a panel of investigators to check the incident, while Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young instructed Councilors Osmena and Ronald Cuenco to pursue an inquiry.
Councilor Cuenco plans to suggest to the City Council to create a fact-finding committee.
But Osmeña said they all have the same goal, which is to find out what really happened, so why can’t one fact-finding committee do it?
“Ako man nang responsibilidad, gusto man kaha silang muapil, okay ra ug muimbistigar sab sila kay transparent man ta, ila sab na (It’s my responsibility [to find out what happened] but if they want to investigate as well, that’s fine. We’re transparent),” Rama said.
The mayor has instructed former city health officer Dr. Tomas Fernandez, City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez and City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete to proceed with the inquiry.
Osmeña said she just wants city officials to work closely to come up with safety measures in CCMC so the incident won’t happen again.
“I have no problem working with anybody, it doesn’t have to be separate kay we want to know the same thing man, so, why can’t we work together? I thought, together we can make things happen,” Osmeña asked.
She said after a visit to Chong Hua Hospital that one of the newborn babies remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) but his condition is stable, while the other one is now recuperating in the pediatric ward.
The third baby, who sustained minor burns, was released from CCMC last Thursday, the day when the two other babies were transferred to the CHH.
CCMC chief Dr. Eduardo Sedoripa, in a previous interview, said the government-run hospital is not turning its back on the three infants, even if the two of them were already transferred to a private hospital.
He said they are willing to face any investigation and emphasized the explosion of the gooseneck lamp was an accident.
