PRC, Mandaue City Hall to deal with docs, nurses

Cesar Coliflores posted photos of the medicines and the prescription given by the medical staff to his wife on his Facebook account.

The Department of Health regional office said it is the Professional Regulation Cmmission (PRC) and the Mandaue city government that will investigate the medical staff accused of negligence in the death  of a former overseas worker’s wife.

“The complaint against the accused staff will be under the jurisdiction of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Mandaue City government because the hospital is under the LGU’s authority,” Regional DOH Director Jaime Bernadas said.

DOH-7 created a committee last week to investigate the processes adhered to by the hospital as requested by the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) based on the complaint of the Coliflores family.

Cesar Coliflores accused two doctors and three nurses of the Mandaue City hospital of mishandling  his ailing wife, who died 30 minutes after being transferred there from the Ignacio Cortes hospital.

As far as operations and standards are concerned, Bernadas said their inquiry showed no lapses on the hospital’s part.

Bernadas said the DOH’s role is to examine whether the hospital meets operational standards set by their agency.

“The authority to hire, discipline and fire is within the LGU. That is also the handicap of DOH because it is not in our mandate to go into the medical practice of any profession of the health department unless they are administratively under us,” Bernadas said.

Bernadas said they secured a narration of facts of the case but they cannot disclose the information yet for confidentiality purposes.

He said only a court can compel the Mandaue City Hospital to release the patient’s medical records.

Bernadas said the committee will invite the Coliflores family to hear their side on the case.

Cesar wanted the medical staff suspended for allegedly failing to care for his wife who complained of recurring fever.