If patients die at hospital, gov wants to know why
After the death of a dehydrated infant whose treatment was delayed in the Minglanilla District Hospital, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III fired the attending physician and said he wants to know quickly when a patient dies in a province-run hospital and why.
He asked the Provincial Health Office (PHO) to produce records of patient deaths in provincial and district hospitals in Cebu since January this year.
He called for a conference yesterday morning with Provincial Health Officer Dr. Cynthia Genosolango, Provincial Administrator Mark Tolentino, and chiefs of hospitals to discuss the status of province-run medical facilities.
“I emphasized to them how important it is for us to know. I brought to their attention the lack of communication, apparently, between the chief of hospital, the PHO, and me,” Davide said. The governor said he often finds out about hospital issues from the news.
“I have terminated the services of Dr. (Agnes) Demano, whether or not the family (of the patient) decides to exercise their right to file a complaint against her,” Davide said.
“She was hired on a job-order basis so we can terminate it anytime.”
READ: Hospital staff ‘failed to care for ill baby’
He said no more investigation will be done as he has decided with finality that her services will be terminated.
Governor Davide urged those who have complaints against provincial doctors to bring their concerns to the PHO.
He said he wants to know firsthand whether deaths in these hospitals were caused by neglect of medical staff, lack of medical supplies, or problems in the facility.
Dr. Genosolango admitted that monthly reporting of Emergency Room data and mortality and morbidity data was not being done.
She said she would summon another doctor of the Minglanilla District Hospital involved in another case reported in the media, the October death of 4-year-old Jense Tuballa. The boy’s mother said he was given the wrong prescription by a doctor. The case of alleged negligence is being investigated.
The Nov. 7 death of baby Mary Jane Bariquit was described by the Capitol as the result of a ‘lapse of judgment’ by the doctor who had asked the baby’s mother to go out to buy P700 worth of dextrose, a needle and medicine, when the supplies were available in the center for free for emergency cases.
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