SINDANGAN, Zamboanga del Norte — A family is demanding answers and justice following the death of a child at Sindangan District Hospital on October 2, 2026, alleging that repeated requests for oxygen and a referral to a higher-level hospital were not acted upon promptly while the child was experiencing difficulty breathing.
According to a lengthy account posted by the child’s aunt, the family had repeatedly sought medical assistance after the child began experiencing breathing difficulties. The family claimed that they requested oxygen several times but were allegedly told that the child’s vital signs were still acceptable and that oxygen could not be administered without a doctor’s order. The family also claimed that they initially requested that the child be referred to a hospital in Dipolog, but were allegedly told to wait for the attending doctor’s request and later informed that the patient was not considered eligible for referral.
The aunt alleged that the family continued pleading for oxygen as the child’s condition deteriorated. In her account, the child allegedly pleaded with a nurse, “Ma’am, tabangi ko bi, oxygeni ko,” as the child struggled to breathe. The family further claimed that the child eventually became visibly discolored before oxygen was finally provided. They also alleged that a referral was initiated only when the child’s condition had already become critical.
The family questioned why the child was not referred earlier when the family had already raised concerns about the worsening breathing difficulty. They also disputed what they described as explanations being given after the child’s death, including an allegation that the child’s condition may have been connected to stepping on a nail. The family maintained that the injury they observed was a superficial wound and argued that the child’s worsening respiratory condition had been the immediate concern for which they repeatedly sought medical intervention.
In a separate emotional statement, the aunt expressed grief and anger, saying that the family had sought treatment at the hospital because they believed the facility would provide immediate medical assistance. She questioned why oxygen was allegedly withheld despite the child’s repeated difficulty breathing and why the referral was not immediately pursued while the child was still able to communicate and ask for help.
The allegations have not been independently established, and the circumstances surrounding the child’s death remain subject to verification. The Mindanao Sentinel is not making a finding of medical negligence based solely on the family’s account. Medical records, the attending physicians’ assessment, the hospital’s protocols, and the sequence of interventions would be necessary to establish what happened and whether appropriate medical procedures were followed.
As of publication, Sindangan District Hospital has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident. The hospital has not publicly addressed the family’s allegations concerning the alleged denial or delay of oxygen, the requested referral to another hospital, or the medical circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
The family is calling for accountability and answers, particularly regarding the decisions made during the period when the child was reportedly experiencing difficulty breathing. The incident has also raised broader questions about emergency response, referral procedures, communication between medical personnel and families, and the circumstances under which oxygen support should be provided to a patient in respiratory distress.
The family’s account is expected to draw attention to the need for a thorough and impartial review of the incident. Such an investigation could help establish the timeline of the child’s deterioration, the vital signs recorded by medical personnel, the treatment provided, the requests made by the family, the attending physician’s instructions, and the reason for any delay in referral or oxygen administration.
For the grieving family, however, the central issue remains unanswered: whether more immediate intervention could have changed the outcome for a child whom they say was repeatedly asking for help while struggling to breathe.