4 COVID-positive moms separated from their babies

CEBU, Philippines —  The first thing doctors do after delivering a baby is often to join it to its mother in an act of sharing warmth and tenderness. Four babies from Barangay Suba, Cebu City never got that chance.

It is hard for the four mothers to be separated from their newborns, but they have no choice, they say.

They all tested positive for COVID-19 after giving birth. It was not established, though, where they actually got the virus: whether from the hospital or from the barangay itself.

Their present situation has forced these moms, all asymptomatic, to store their breastmilk in bottles to be given to their babies. No physical interactions.

But among the four, the case of Cha (not her real name) may be the most difficult.

Cha’s her child is still left in the hospital while the other babies are being taken care of by their partners at home now.

Cha and her husband are residents of Talisay City, but since they did not have money to spend for an ambulance and for hospitalization, they were left with no choice but to ask help from the barangay where her husband’s family comes from.

“Ingon man sila na naa daw bayad ang ambulansya, unya walang-wala biya mi. So mao tong nagpakuha na lang mi sa pamilya sa akong pares. Nanghangyo ang pamilya sa akong bana nga matabangan unta mi makuha sa Tabunok para sa pagpanganak nako,” said Cha in an interview with The FREEMAN.

Cha’s husband works as a helper in the fish port of Pasil.

When she gave birth, it was also the time when she knew she was COVID- positive. Thus she was only given a very little time to take a glimpse of her baby.

Having suffered a miscarriage in 2018, Cha was the most excited on the coming of her baby.

The family could not yet claim the baby at the hospital because the her husband has yet to be tested.

“Gipakuha na man ron unta (the baby). Wala pa namo nakuha. Wala pa man siya(partner) na-swab,” said Cha.

Adding burden to Cha and his partner is when the latter caused a commotion at the barangay isolation center (San Nicolas Elementary School) the other night.

Cha’s partner reportedly intruded the center where his wife was isolated, which alarmed the patients. Now he is being threatened with a case.

Cha got wounded when she tried to pacify the other patients and the frontliner who was blamed for her partner’s entry.

“Ako untang hangyo na mapasaylo nila akong pares kung unsa may nahitabo gabii( the other night). Dili intawn lalim malayo sa among anak. Unta di na nila pasakaag kaso ug unta ma-reswab na ko diri ang makauli nami para sa amoang anak,” said Cha. JMD (FREEMAN)