Provincial Board requests DOH-7: Investigate negligence in hospital in Asturias

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board has requested the Department of Health-7 to investigate the alleged negligence involving a doctor in an infirmary in Asturias town that put a nine-month old baby in a critical condition.

The PB further called on DOH-7 to look into the report that there is no doctor being assigned in the infirmary during weekends when it is supposed to operate 24 hours every day.

During a regular session held on Monday, Dr. Zaldy Climaco, Asturias municipal health officer, and representatives from the DOH-7, as well as the Provincial Health Office, were invited to appear before the members of the PB to shed light on the issue of negligence.

The parents of the baby are blaming Climaco for allegedly neglecting his duties and for not properly attending to their son when they rushed him to the town's infirmary on the night of July 20, Sunday, after the baby suffered from diarrhea and vomiting.

The parents claimed that the baby, who was brought to the intensive care unit of Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu City the next day, was already dehydrated and his condition was deteriorating.

Climaco belied that there was negligence.

He said the parents were advised to bring the baby to the nearest district hospital since he was not on duty that day, but they allegedly refused to do so and waited for him instead.

Climaco added that first aid medications were even administered to the baby while he was not yet around. It was 9:30 p.m. when he went to the infirmary and checked the condition of the baby where he found out that there was no any sign of dehydration.

"Gipa-inom sa og hydrite sa nurse… Pag-abot nako, akong gi-check, way symptoms sa dehydration, only fever. So akong gipangutana if padayunon ba ang (hydrite), mi-okay man sab sila. Then I instructed the nurse to give the medicines and I went home," he told the members of the body.

It was reported during the session that the baby was already suffering from convulsion with a temperature of around 41 degrees, which prompted the parents to rush the baby to Perpetual Succour on Monday morning.

The parents earlier told The FREEMAN that their baby's condition would have not worsened had the doctor administered intravenous fluid when the baby was admitted. They said they waited for long before the doctor arrived.

As of now, the baby has already been discharged from the hospital.

According to PHO chief Cynthia Genosolango, doctors in Rural Health Units are required to work only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. She added that infirmary should operate 24 hours with one doctor and one reliever on weekends.

When asked why he was not around at the time of the baby's admission, Climaco said he was taking his day off and that working at the infirmary during weekends is his additional service only.

"I was asked by the mayor to expand the service in the infirmary… Besides, there are three of us (doctors) in the RHU," he said.

Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, co-chairman of the Provincial Council for the Welfare of Children, said DOH-7 should look into the issue on the absence of doctors in the said infirmary on weekends.

"Maybe we can pass a resolution asking DOH to close (the infirmary). Kay if di 'na matarong, might as well close it kung mao man gani na nga wa'y doctors mag-attend Saturday and Sunday," Magpale told reporters.

The technical working group of the PCWC will convene today to discuss the issue and come up with a decision with regards to assisting the family in the filing of complaints.— (FREEMAN)