Woman gives birth to a boy inside sidewalk tent

CEBU CITY, Philippines—A woman gave birth to a boy inside one of the makeshift tents on a sidewalk here an hour after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Cebu and Bohol on Tuesday.

The tents along N. Natalio Street were set up by Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) for expectant patients who were already in labor.

The baby was left at the improvised nursery in front of the hospital entrance as his mother, a Nubain user, was in critical condition and had to be moved to another hospital.

Maria Dona Kierulf, a nurse, said the situation of babies was difficult but there was nothing the hospital staff could do. She kept fanning the new-born to keep him cool amid the humidity.

The babies slept as vehicles plied N. Bacalso Avenue in front of CCMC, exposing them to smoke and dust.

The sidewalk has been converted into an improvised facility after CCMC personnel were told to leave the building after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu on Tuesday morning.

Guillermo Diola of the city’s department of engineering and public works said cracks were found on the concrete columns of the hospital’s second and third floors.

“We have to close down the hospital pending further evaluation,” Diola told Mayor Michael Rama on Tuesday night.

City officials were making arrangements to transfer patients to private hospitals after the city engineer and the Office of the Building Official reported that the CCMC building was not fit for occupancy.

Dr. Gloria Duterte, the hospital chief, said that as of Wednesday noon, 133 patients had been admitted to the city-run hospital.

Kierulf said the babies were due for transfer to the Bureau of Fire and Penology (BFP) chapel. The area was still being cleared on Wednesday noon.

Maricar Villarta, 33, recalled that she was watching over her 2-month-old daughter, Hyacinth, who was suffering from pneumonia complications, at CCMC’s intensive care unit when the quake struck at 8:15 a.m.

“The earthquake was so strong that oxygen tanks were falling behind me.  Everyone was already running out of the hospital,” Villarta said.