10-year-old boy dies after alleged delays, lack of equipment in Catbalogan hospital transfer

by Evmwb

CATBALOGAN CITY SAMAR— _ ” Around 8:00 in the morning we rushed him to the hospital. By 2:00 PM, my son was gone.”

That is how one mother began her heartbreaking account of how her 10-year-old son, Dayne, died on July 11, 2026, after what she described as a series of delays, lack of equipment, and failures in the province’s health care and emergency response system.  

According to the mother’s post, Dayne first complained of a sore throat on Thursday. By Friday he developed a high fever. 

On Saturday morning, family members noticed his lips turning color and that he was having difficulty breathing.  

He was rushed to a hospital in Catbalogan and immediately placed on oxygen. Minutes later, he suffered a seizure. Doctors told the mother via video call that he needed to be intubated. She gave her consent.  

That was when, she said, the “nightmare began.”  

“No Driver 15,000 Pesos”:

After Dayne’s condition worsened, hospital staff told the family he needed to be transferred to Tacloban City for ICU care because Catbalogan had no ICU. An ambulance was requested.  

The family alleges they were told there was no ambulance driver available and that they needed to pay *₱15,000

.  My son was dying in front of me and they were talking about money,”_ the mother wrote.  

They sought help from the city hall, the fire department, and the provincial hospital. They were told the city ambulance was “getting an oil change and would only be available at 12 PM” and that the fire department and provincial hospital also had “no driver.”  

The family also said they were asked to find their own nurse to accompany the patient because “all nurses were on duty.” A neighbor who is a nurse eventually volunteered.  

It was almost 12 PM in the afternoon before a driver and nurse were secured — 4 hours after the initial request for transfer.

Bumpy Roads, Wrong Equipment:

During the trip to Tacloban, the mother said the poor road conditions in Samar caused Dayne’s breathing tube to become dislodged. The ambulance reportedly stopped in Calbiga and Pinabacdao to look for a doctor to reinsert the tube, but none were available because “it was Saturday.”  

She also alleged that the intubation tube used was too small for a 10-year-old.  

“How can a hospital be this ill-equipped?” she asked.  

Dayne arrived in Tacloban and was declared dead on arrival.The Catbalogan hospital listed the cause as “Acute Respiratory Failure,” though the family said he only had sore throat and fever.  

The family said they paid ₱15,000 for emergency services, ₱1,000 for gas, and ₱1,000 for the driver.They also claimed the ambulance had *no cardiac monitor.

“It Was The System That Failed Him”

“What killed my son wasn’t just his illness. It was the system. The negligence. The people who were supposed to save him,”_ the mother wrote.  

She also cited the 2023 death of her grandmother, who she said died because” the blood bank was closed. It’s Saturday.”_  

“If you don’t have a ‘backer’ or ‘connection,’ you just die here,”_ she said. “How many more lives will we lose because of the Philippines’ failing health care system?”

Call For Accountability  

The case has sparked renewed calls for the Department of Health, Samar Provincial Government, and local officials to address gaps in emergency medical services, hospital equipment, and 24/7 staffing in rural hospitals.  

As of posting, the Samar Provincial Government has yet to issue a detailed public response to the specific allegations raised in the mother’s account. 

In a statement., Samar Provincial Hospital has two operational ambulances available per shift for patient referrals to higher-level hospitals whenever needed. Each ambulance is staffed by a driver and an ambulance nurse, and this service is provided free of charge, including fuel. In this particular instance, both of our ambulances were already transporting patients to Tacloban when assistance was requested.

We also wish to clarify that SPH does not charge patients any ambulance fee for hospital referrals.

Health experts stress that for critical pediatric cases, timely transfer, proper equipment sizing, and trained personnel are vital to survival.  

For Dayne’s mother, it is already too late.  

“I write this through tears. I will never be the same. I died with my son. I love you, Dayne. I’m sorry.”