Overcrowding blamed in OsMak neonatal sepsis deaths
By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 13:57:00 07/10/2008
Filed Under: Health, Children
MANILA, Philippines -- Health officials have concluded that the 23 cases of neonatal sepsis deaths at the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) for the month of May were exacerbated by the overcrowding of mothers and infants.
In a press conference Thursday, Dr Jaime Galvez Tan, head of the city's fact finding team, said the hospital became overcrowded with newborns as the OsMak tried to accommodate as many patients as possible.
“This willingness to accommodate as many patients as possible however compromised the hospital's efficiency especially in infection control,” he told reporters.
The fact finding team, along with the Department of Health's National Epidemiology Center, launched an investigation after 23 neonatal sepsis deaths were reported for the month of May.
The team recommended to Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay that the admission of obstetric-related cases be limited to high-risk or emergency cases in order to declog the public hospital.
“Normal deliveries and other incoming patients will be referred to the nearby lying in clinics or other hospitals. This will significantly reduce the volume of obstretic-related cases to more manageable levels,” Tan added.
Tan however assured the public that the OsMak has taken sanitation measures to prevent more infections and that there was only one death for the month of June, and that it was not sepsis-related.
“The unusually high number of deaths could have been prevented if infection control measures were adequately taken … the multiple levels of pathogens eventually created a breakdown in infection control,” he explained.
The Makati City's legal office is also looking into the filing of administrative charges against five officials of the OsMak pending their response to a memorandum issued to them about the neonatal sepsis deaths.
OsMak officer-in-charge, Dr Perry Peralta, said a seven-man infection control committee was now reviewing their infection preventive measures, especially on “human traffic.”
He added that they were strictly monitoring all patients in all areas and not just in the neonatal intensive care unit for any other possible infection.
“We are also watching our antibiotic use, because if this is not monitored and antibiotics are not used properly, this may lead to a resisting strain against antibiotics,” Peralta explained.
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