MANILA, Philippines—The plane from Bahrain to Manila was carrying more than 200 passengers, mostly Filipinos. One of them was unmanifested—a newborn baby found inside a plastic trash disposal bag after the aircraft touched down in Manila. The baby boy was alive and kicking.A doctor on duty at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) said the boy weighed three kilograms and measured 48 centimeters long.An investigation has been launched. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which operates the NAIA, said its medical team had named the infant “George Francis.”The initials GF refer to the code name assigned to Gulf Air, Bahrain’s principal flag carrier, by the International Air Transport Association. The baby was found on Flight GF-154, which landed at NAIA Terminal 1 at 11:18 a.m.MIAA media affairs chief Connie Bungag said the boy was immediately given full medical attention, with medical personnel pooling their resources to buy baby clothes, medicines, bottles, and milk for him. “Apparently, the baby was born on the plane,” she said.George Francis was later turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which has become his custodian.Asked by reporters if the boy was “a foreigner,” the duty doctor and pediatrician, Dr. Ma. Theresa Azores, said: “It doesn’t seem so. He looks Filipino.” According to a report from the MIAA medical office, the aircraft cleaners found the garbage bag containing the baby at the plane’s toilet at around 11:50 a.m.Not wanting to lose time, Gulf Air security agents Tristan Dimaano and Noel Franco loaded the bag onto a tow truck and rushed the infant to a medical clinic at Terminal 1. The medical report described the baby as wrapped in blood-stained tissue paper napkins.The doctors said they first cleaned up the baby’s mouth—and the boy gave a good cry. His breathing and heartbeat were also normal. Search for mother
The baby was cleaned to prevent infection. He was shown to have healthy pinkish skin, good reflexes and normal testicles.Doctors injected the baby with Vitamin K and an antibiotic, and applied ointment to his eyes. The attending doctors were Azores and Dr. Ma. Caridad Ipac-Nuas, airport officials said.Alfredo Vasquez and Danny Gemarino, MIAA action officers, led the turnover of the baby to a DSWD contingent headed by Maria Lanie Tabios. The MIAA is tracking the passenger who could have given birth to the boy or could have carried the boy into the plane. An inspection of the plane showed that two adjacent passenger seats had blood smears.Airport officials said that while they had the name or names of the occupants of the seats, it was also possible that the woman who gave birth might just have transferred to the seat. Gulf Air officials were not immediately available for comment.Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said she was outraged by what happened and would order officials to try to locate the infant’s mother, who could be criminally charged. Soliman said the baby would be turned over to the mother’s relatives or put up for adoption.The DSWD said it would ask the police to investigate.Delia Bauan, DSWD-NCR director, said the investigation would be part of the process for the baby’s possible adoption. The process includes informing the public of the birth of the boy to gather more information about him.The baby will be put to foster care “if nobody claims him,” Bauan said.Under state care Social welfare and airport officials gave a conflicting guess on when the boy was actually born.While the MIAA media affairs office said the boy seemed to have been born during the flight, Bauan said the report she received from her staff was that he “was a few days old.” Bauan said the baby had been taken to the Reception and Study Center for Children run by the department.“The state will take care of the baby,” she said. Read more Aviation News http://newsinfo.inquirer.net
The baby was cleaned to prevent infection. He was shown to have healthy pinkish skin, good reflexes and normal testicles.Doctors injected the baby with Vitamin K and an antibiotic, and applied ointment to his eyes. The attending doctors were Azores and Dr. Ma. Caridad Ipac-Nuas, airport officials said.Alfredo Vasquez and Danny Gemarino, MIAA action officers, led the turnover of the baby to a DSWD contingent headed by Maria Lanie Tabios. The MIAA is tracking the passenger who could have given birth to the boy or could have carried the boy into the plane. An inspection of the plane showed that two adjacent passenger seats had blood smears.Airport officials said that while they had the name or names of the occupants of the seats, it was also possible that the woman who gave birth might just have transferred to the seat. Gulf Air officials were not immediately available for comment.Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said she was outraged by what happened and would order officials to try to locate the infant’s mother, who could be criminally charged. Soliman said the baby would be turned over to the mother’s relatives or put up for adoption.The DSWD said it would ask the police to investigate.Delia Bauan, DSWD-NCR director, said the investigation would be part of the process for the baby’s possible adoption. The process includes informing the public of the birth of the boy to gather more information about him.The baby will be put to foster care “if nobody claims him,” Bauan said.Under state care Social welfare and airport officials gave a conflicting guess on when the boy was actually born.While the MIAA media affairs office said the boy seemed to have been born during the flight, Bauan said the report she received from her staff was that he “was a few days old.” Bauan said the baby had been taken to the Reception and Study Center for Children run by the department.“The state will take care of the baby,” she said. Read more Aviation News http://newsinfo.inquirer.net
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