THE Provincial Health Office (PHO) is investigating the doctor in Pinamungajan District Hospital for allegedly not giving a referral immediately, causing delay in the transfer of patient to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City.
In a letter complaint addressed to Gov. Hilario Davide III, Tomas Laraño said that on August 24, his son John Michael met an accident and they brought him to the district hospital.
“Ang akong complaint, Hon. Davide, nga akong pasyente dugay kaayo nahatagan og referral padulong ngadto sa VSMMC. Ang referral wala man gihatag dayon sa doctor (My complaint, Hon. Davide, is that my patient was not immediately given a referral to the VSMMC. It took the doctor long to give the referral),” said Laraño.
Laraño said they arrived at the hospital at 6 a.m., but they waited until 11 a.m. for the doctor to issue a referral before the ambulance left for VSMMC.
Laraño said that doctor also ordered the ambulance driver to stop in a mall in Toledo City because she wanted to buy something.
He said his son died the next day due to internal hemorrhage. Laraño said the scattering of blood clot in his child’s brain might have been prevented if the child had been brought immediately to the hospital in the city.
“Dili nako mangita og gubot kay bisag unsaon pa dili naman mabuhi akong anak. Ang ako lang, governor, wala nay lain pang mabiktima nga lain pasyente sama namo, nga nausik ang kinabuhi tungod sa doctor nga nagpabaya namo (I don’t want trouble anymore because it will not bring back my son’s life. What I want, governor, is that other patients will not suffer the same fate because of the doctor’s negligence),” he said.
PHO head Dr. Rene Catan said they are now investigating the alleged incident after receiving a complaint from Laraño, a resident of Barangay Sambagon, Pinamungajan.
“Tan-awon sad nato kon kanus-a namatay ang pasyente, if it is caused by her side trip (going to mall) so liable gyud na sya. If it is not, dapat tan-awon na nato. Kay as I understand namatay ang pasyente the day after (We will see the date of the patient’s death, if it is caused by her side trip, then she is liable),” Catan said.
Catan said the doctor is still working in the Pinamungajan hospital, while the investigation is ongoing.