Jesuits take in newborns from burning Philippine hospital

Chapel becomes a ward for 35 babies after a fire at a Manila hospital forces an evacuation

Jesuits take in newborns from burning Philippine hospital

Jesuit priests have turned their chapel at a major public hospital in Manila into an evacuation and care center for 35 newborn babies after a fire gutted the maternity wing of the hospital.

Twenty-seven out of the 35 infants taken to the chapel were in critical condition and on life support following the blaze at the Philippine General Hospital in Ermita district on May 16.

Twelve other infants were reportedly transferred to a nearby hospital.

The infants were still in the chapel two days after the fire, according to Jesuit Father Marlito Ocon.

He said they were unable to transfer the 35 babies in the chapel because of the Covid-19 situation.

Some of the babies needed oxygen because they had difficulty breathing because of the smoke, he said.

No one was hurt or killed in the blaze which reportedly took firefighters four hours to bring under control.

“Our nurses and doctors are excellent here. All the patients survived the fire,” Father Ocon said, adding that key equipment needed to care for the infants was successfully transferred.

He could not say how long the infants would remain in the chapel.

As well as asking for donations, the Jesuit also praised the team of health workers that took the children to safety.

“When emergency protocols say you have to save first those who are able and leave behind those who aren’t, they stayed until everyone was out and safe. When human instinct dictates that you have to save yourself, they took the risk,” he said on Facebook on May 18.

“They crossed the red lines to take out the babies left behind in the thick smoke at zero visibility.”