A viral post on Facebook from a Pediatric Cardiologist based in Cagayan de Oro is making the rounds in the social media recently of what she called ‘worst experience with Cebu Pacific CDO!’
To avoid misquoting the good doctor, I would share her post ad verbatim or word for word in layman’s term. Please refer to the text below:
WORST EXPERIENCE AT CDO CEBU PACIFIC
I accompanied a 6 day old baby with a congenital heart disease for an emergent cardiac surgery to Manila yesterday. We needed to fly commercial since the ambulance plane cost almost half a million. The baby was hooked to an oxygen and IVF on our way to the airport. We left the hospital at 4AM to catch the 6:30AM flight. When we were about to board the plane, the crew of Cebu Pacific told us that we can not bring an oxygen cylinder inside the plane and replace it with an electric oxygen concentrator. The father complained that he was just advised to bring a portable O2 so naturally he bought the 7K portable cylinder. But since the father wanted so much to bring his child to Manila for surgery, he went back to the hospital in CDO (which was a 1 hour ride) to look for the electric oxygen concentrator. We were waiting at the breastfeeding room when the plane already left. The next flight was at 9 AM so I thought, the father will arrive in the airport just in time for the 2nd flight. The father came with the oxygen concentrator relieved that we are finally going to Manila. When we tried to plug in the device in the aircraft, the outlet was 120V! The father was so disappointed that no one in the crew told him that the outlet was 120V. I asked the crew if we can use their emergency O2 tank inside the plane instead. But the crew told us that the cylinder tank was ONLY for emergency! I blurted, isn’t this considered an emergency?! The baby needs O2 during the flight. They told us that it is only used in emergency during the flight and not when the plane is still on the ground! So again, we weren’t able to board the plane. The father was advised to look for a transformer. Again, we waited patiently at the breastfeeding room until the father can provide the transformer. It has been more than 6 hrs and we ran out already of portable oxygen, thus we were already using the electric oxygen concentrator at the breastfeeding room. We also ran out of breastmilk for the baby. Good thing a female cebu pacific crew donated breastmilk. At last, the father had the transformer! We were all ready to board the plane. But when they asked permission from the captain, they wouldn’t allow us to board the plane since the baby is only 6 days old, plus they wont allow us to bring the transformer! The 3rd plane flew without us! We were all exhausted and disappointed. I, the nurse and the father pleaded to the assistant supervisor to let us ride the plane but to no avail. I asked them to elevate this to their boss since I can not allow my patient to stay in CDO, wait and die without the chance of having a surgery. The father was crying because he gave in to all their demands but was refused to fly. The 4th plane came at 3PM. Finally, the Cebu Pacific Doctor in Manila allowed us to fly the plane but without the oxygen! We decided to just board the plane even WITHOUT oxygen since we were too desperate to give the baby a chance to have the surgery. I told the crew that we will definitely need their emergency O2 tank when we are on air. We prayed for the baby to be ok while waiting inside the plane without O2. We arrived in Manila at 5PM after greater than 10 hours of sweat, tears, exasperation and disappointment. NEVER AGAIN flying with the same airline.
Here’s the screenshot of the original post to avoid being accused of making this up. No way, Jose!
Facebook post of CDO Pediatric cardiologist.
However, in the spirit of fairness, I checked on Cebu Pacific’s Policy on transporting patients requiring an assistive breathing device and I believed the entire thing could have been avoided if the passengers coordinated with the airline office in advance.
Let me direct your attention to the screenshot of Cebu Pacific’s policy on transporting patients requiring oxygen.
What do you think about the doctor’s complaint, is it valid? Thank you for dropping by.
Do not expect first class service from a low cost airline.
I believe the father coordinated with the airlines since he did bring a portable O2 as per airline policy. In addition, the father and child were accompanied by a nurse and a cardiologist. The airline’s policy states that it should be a POC.
The father came back with the oxygen concentrator. The outlet was 110V. I think it’s still okay to use the 110V outlet for that 110/220v kind of equipment/machine. Ang hindi pwede lang is when you plug the 110v equipment to a 220v outlet. I’m not an electrician but that’s what I was told since we also have a 110v outlet at home.
I have been to CDO but not to a hospital. So unless the ride from the hospital is more than 30 mins away and assuming they had all paperworks needed then I would have to disagree on the author of this blog. Per CEB policy they have to check in at least 2 hours before the flight which they did, father was told to bring portable O2 (probably by some1 from CEB) – another fail from CEB’s part and finally a fit to travel or signed by attending physician – you have the physician with the baby – (a baby!!!) in the air port already. so where was the miss from the pax end again? of course again all of these are forfeited if the travel from hospital to airport if more than 30 mins. Just saying.