Tuburan teacher’s death: Family won’t sue hospital

CEBU, Philippines – Jezil Lee Relabo, 19, never thought that the sumptuous pancit her elder sister Hezil Aparecio cooked during the latter’s birthday on November 15 would be her last best meal.

“Ingon siya nga mao na kuno to ang kinalamian nga pancit nga iyang lutuon,” Relabo told The FREEMAN, describing her sister as a good mother to her one-year old child, loving and religious.

These were among the odd signs manifested by Aparecio before she died three days after her birthday, Relabo added.

Aparecio died on the dawn of November 18, hours after receiving a shot of expired insulin.

The family, however, are not concluding it was the expired medicine that killed her, but they confirmed that the insulin administered to Aparecio had expired last January.

They also have no plans to sue the hospital.

Relabo said her sister was still able to go to the Tuburan District Hospital on the morning of November 17 for admission after suffering from a fever. After being instructed by the doctor, Aparecio’s brother Jaycees bought insulin from a pharmacy located just outside the hospital.

Relabo said the medicine was only stored in a box instead of a refrigerator. Nevertheless, Jaycees returned to the hospital bringing with the insulin.

She recounted that the nurse immediately injected the medicine to Aparecio only to learn later that the medicine had already expired.

“Ang giingon gyud sa nurse nga ‘hala, expired na man day ni.’  Mao ra gyud na,” she said.

She belied the report posted in the Facebook account of “Never Again Cebu” that quoted the nurse as further saying that the expired medicine would have no nega-tive effect.

She, however, said Aparecio felt very ill hours after the medicine was administered to her, prompting the family to take her to a hospital in Cebu City. Unfortunately, Aparecio did not make it to the hospital.

She will be laid to rest today.

Despite the incident, the family is not keen on filing charges against the hospital staff. Relabo said they are just appealing to the medical staff in government-run hospitals to take utmost care in dealing with patients to prevent more loss of lives.

“Di unta patuyang. I-double check unta ang medicines,” she said.

Aparecio’s aunt Beth Sayson, 52, said they will no longer file charges because they just want to live peacefully and avoid creating trouble.

“Di mi mokaso kay di man mabalik iyang ki-nabuhi. Di na mi gusto og daghang istorya,” she said.

She said they were shocked after the death of Aparecio came out in the newspapers yesterday. The family suspected that a man identified himself as Jay Martinez, who claimed to be a staff of lawyer Winston Garcia, caused the proliferation of the incident in social media.

Sayson said Marti-nez visited the wake the night before the Facebook post surfaced. She said Martinez was the only person who got the opportunity to confer with the relatives and take photographs of the wake and the expired medicine. Martinez reportedly promised not to divulge the incident until Aparecio was laid to rest.

“Bakakon ‘tong tawhana. Wa mi laing gisuspetsahan, siya ra gyud,” Sayson said.

The Provincial Health Office is currently conducting an inquiry into the matter.

Garcia, who is One Cebu’s gubernatorial candidate called on the Capitol to hire more diligent and competent doctors and other medical staff to man the district hospitals by diverting the amount for consultancy fees amounting to not less than P85 million.

With the latest death in another province-run hospital, Garcia said it is reasonable for the Capitol to divert the funds for consultancy services to more pressing need involving efforts to better enhance the capability and competence of the different district hospitals in the province.

Citing official findings, Garcia said the cause of death in the said district hospitals was due to negligence.

Garcia said the present governor’s plan to hire consultants on high-rise buildings and other infrastructure construction, as well as hire highly-paid consultants on how to react to disaster and reduce calamity-caused risks is too farfetched and a waste of people’s money.

Winston said if he will be elected in 2016 his top priority will be hiring competent government doctors and medical staff as well as making medicine affordable in every provincial district hospital. — /BRP Michael Vencynth H. Braga Staff Member