Mother blames 'broken system' for 10-year-old son's death in Samar, cites ambulance delays and ₱15,000 fee

Transfer to Tacloban was delayed by the lack of an ambulance driver, while rough roads, and the absence of doctors during the trip exposed what she called a “broken system.”

A grieving mother’s account of losing her 10-year-old son has stirred public anger over the state of national healthcare, with many Filipinos saying they deserve more from a country that struggles to provide even the bare minimum.

In a Facebook post, the mother recounted how her son, Dayne, was rushed to a hospital in Samar on July 11 after suffering a sore throat, fever, and difficulty breathing before his condition rapidly deteriorated.

She said she immediately consented to intubation upon arrival and that she would have signed anything if it meant saving her child’s life.

However, Dayne’s health deteriorated further, and he had to be transferred to Tacloban, where hospitals are better equipped with intensive care units.

According to the family, the transfer to Tacloban was delayed because no ambulance driver was immediately available. They also said they were told the transport would cost ₱15,000.

“My son’s life was hanging by a thread, but they were still talking about money,” the mother wrote.

Desperate to save their son, the family said they sought help from the city government, only to be told the available ambulance was undergoing an oil change and would not be ready until noon.

They also turned to the local fire station and another hospital for assistance, but were allegedly told there were no ambulance drivers available.

After nearly four hours of searching, the family finally left for Tacloban around noon with the help of a neighbor who agreed to accompany the patient as the ambulance nurse.

The ordeal continued on the road after the child’s breathing tube was allegedly dislodged during the trip because of what the mother described as Samar’s poor road conditions.

They had to stop in Calbiga and Pinabacdao to look for a doctor to reinsert the dislodged tube, but were told there was none on duty because it was a Saturday.

“What killed you wasn’t just your illness, it was the broken system,” the mother wrote.

She stressed that she was not asking for hospital workers to lose their jobs, but for authorities to recognize that replacing individuals would mean little if “the broken system” remained unchanged.

The mother also did not name the hospital in her original post. Following the viral post, however, Samar Doctors’ Hospital released a statement, saying that Dayne arrived in unstable condition and received immediate emergency treatment before being referred to a higher-level facility.

The private hospital said its patient transport service carries a standard ₱15,000 operational fee to cover fuel and round-trip expenses, but stressed that it did not require payment before the transfer because the child’s immediate transport remained its priority.

“It took so much strength to post this. I cry as I type my heart out. I know I will never be the same again. I died with my son. I love you, Dayne,” the mother wrote.