The harrowing story of Sandro’s wife’s labor at Roxas hospital reveals a tragic sequence of events marked by pain, delays, and heartbreaking loss. At 2 a.m., she awoke with severe stomach pain, signaling the onset of labor. Quickly, preparations were made to bring her to the hospital, hoping for a smooth delivery. But what followed was a distressing ordeal that would shake the family and raise serious concerns about the care provided.

Upon arrival at Odiong Roxas, Sandro’s wife was admitted immediately. Early that morning around 6 a.m., nurses performed an examination revealing that her cervix was already dilated between 9 and 10 centimeters—indicating she was in active labor and ready to give birth. She was promptly taken to the delivery room. However, complications arose almost immediately. Despite efforts, the baby would not come out, and the labor stalled. Nurses advised resting for a while before trying again.

Five minutes later, attempts to deliver resumed, but the baby still would not emerge. The decision was made to have her rest once more. At 11 a.m., she was taken back into the delivery room for another attempt. The nurses saw the baby’s head but noted significant difficulty in delivering the child. One nurse explained that Sandro’s wife had no more amniotic fluid left, making the birth extremely challenging.

At this critical point, hospital staff called in a male helper to assist in applying abdominal pressure, a technique used to help expel the baby. The pressure was intense, but instead of contractions, Sandro’s wife began to feel only pain, with her uterus no longer contracting. When asked if she had contractions again, she said no, just pain.

As the hours passed, Sandro’s wife’s condition deteriorated. She herself urged that help be called, as she was weakening. Yet the medical team delayed, and only at 2 p.m. was Sandro summoned to the hospital. When he arrived, he found his wife pale, exhausted, and struggling to breathe. He suggested an immediate cesarean section, but doctors said that only the obstetrician could make that decision.

The hospital recommended transferring her to another facility, Pinamalayan, closer to their home. Despite repeated inquiries, no prompt response came from the receiving hospital. Sandro pleaded multiple times with the nurses to expedite the transfer due to his wife’s worsening condition, even suggesting going straight to the provincial hospital in Calapan. But they insisted on waiting for approval and refused to speed up the process.

Frustration grew, and the nurses eventually informed Sandro that the baby had already died. Moreover, the receiving hospital would not accept the transfer. Attempts to contact the provincial hospital for help were also met with refusals, insisting the birth happen at Roxas. The family was trapped in a heartbreaking limbo.

Sandro’s wife was in severe distress. She confided in her mother, expressing that she could no longer bear the pain or the labor. Despite her deteriorating state—fainting, difficulty breathing—the hospital staff insisted she continue laboring. Sandro begged the nurses for a referral to a private hospital, hoping for better care, but was denied on the grounds that leaving would mean “selling patients,” implying loss of business for Roxas hospital.

Hours later, the family finally left Roxas hospital around 6 p.m., arriving at a private hospital in Calapan at 9 p.m. Upon arrival, emergency personnel immediately took Sandro’s wife to the operating room. The gratitude was immense as the cesarean section was performed promptly. The doctor showed Sandro the devastating cause of the tragedy: the baby had been outside the uterus due to uterine rupture, surrounded by blood, feces, and even intestines of Sandro’s wife.

The cause of the baby’s death and Sandro’s wife’s breathing difficulties was the intense abdominal pressure and prolonged labor at Roxas hospital, which led to catastrophic uterine rupture. The injury was so severe that Sandro’s wife had to undergo a hysterectomy, losing the ability to bear children ever again.

The emotional toll on Sandro and his wife is unfathomable. Losing a child is one of the most painful experiences a parent can endure. Worse, the negligence and delay by hospital staff added to their suffering and robbed them of precious moments with their baby. The family buried their child without even being able to say goodbye properly, as Sandro’s wife was too weak to attend.

This tragic case raises critical questions about the quality of maternal care, emergency response, and patient transfer protocols in public hospitals. It highlights the devastating consequences when timely medical decisions are not made, and when bureaucracy interferes with urgent care.

Sandro’s story is a somber reminder that behind statistics are real families shattered by loss, longing for accountability and reform. It is a call to action to improve healthcare systems so that no other family suffers the same fate.