Cebu Mother Accuses Hospital of Negligence After Tragic Loss of Newborn
A grieving mother from Cebu City has come forward with devastating allegations against the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), claiming that a critical five-hour delay and an absence of qualified specialists directly resulted in the death of her baby. Apol Amahan shared her harrowing experience on social media, where her story rapidly gained widespread attention, highlighting serious concerns about emergency medical protocols and staffing deficiencies at the public healthcare facility.
Alleged Five-Hour Emergency Delay at CCMC
According to Amahan's detailed account, she arrived at CCMC in active labor on January 21, 2026. Despite being a regular patient who had received consistent prenatal care at the hospital since her fourth month of pregnancy, she asserts that she was denied the urgent medical attention her condition required. The mother claims that hospital staff initially refused to transfer her to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), even as her health deteriorated significantly.
Amahan alleges that it took nearly five agonizing hours before CCMC personnel finally acknowledged they could not manage her case, reportedly due to the unavailability of a doctor. This prolonged wait, she contends, created a dangerous and ultimately fatal delay in receiving proper obstetric care.
Critical Transfer and Tragic Outcome
By the time Amahan was eventually referred and transported to VSMMC, her situation had become dire. Medical professionals at VSMMC determined that an emergency cesarean section was immediately necessary to save the mother's life. Tragically, despite their efforts, her newborn did not survive the ordeal.
In a particularly painful revelation, Amahan states that doctors at VSMMC informed her that her baby might have been saved if the transfer from CCMC had occurred sooner. This medical opinion has intensified her grief and strengthened her resolve to seek accountability for what she perceives as systemic failures.
Serious Questions Raised About Medical Staffing
The distraught mother has raised alarming questions about the qualifications of the healthcare professionals who attended to her at CCMC. She claims that a physician at VSMMC later pointed out that the attending doctor at CCMC was not a certified obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN), a specialist crucial for managing high-risk deliveries.
Amahan provided further context, stating in her social media post: "There was no OB on duty, but she still proceeded because she said she knew how to deliver a baby. The name of the doctor who was supposed to deliver my baby, as well as the nurse's name, is on my referral form. For now, I am gathering enough strength to pursue this." This statement underscores her allegations of inappropriate staffing during a critical medical emergency.
Mother Seeks Justice and Hospital Accountability
Expressing profound frustration and betrayal, Amahan noted that she had fully disclosed her pre-existing thyroid condition to CCMC months earlier and had placed her complete trust in the hospital's care. "I did not even complain that every prenatal checkup with you had a fee because I trusted your hospital," she lamented, highlighting her prior confidence in the institution.
As she physically recovers from her own life-threatening condition, Amahan has declared her intention to gather strength and evidence to take formal action. She aims not only to seek justice for her lost child but also to prevent other families from enduring similar tragedies. SunStar Cebu has contacted CCMC administration for an official statement regarding these serious allegations, but as of the latest reports, the hospital has not yet issued a public response, leaving many questions unanswered about emergency protocols and specialist availability at the facility.
