On refusing to transport hit-and-run victim we just followed our manual - Nurses

CEBU, Philippines – The nurses involved in the Minglanilla District Hospital controversy for allegedly refusing to transport a hit-and-run patient last May 24, said they were just following the hospital’s manual which states that the ambulance should not be used for patients not admitted there.

Provincial Legal Officer Orvi Ortega, head of the Committee on Discipline and Investigation (CODI), told reporters that the two nurses and Doctor Bella Villaganas, Chief Medical Officer of Minglanilla District Hospital met with him last June 21, through a preliminary conference to discuss the complaint.

“Ang katarungan kuno ana pananglitan ang ambulansya, kay usa ra man ang ambulansya , kung mulakaw or modagan para naa’y kuhaon unya og naa’y patient didto (sa hospital) nga mao’y kinahanglan or emergency didto nga i-transfer, wala na unya magamit,” Ortega said.

“Matud sa katong nurse, ang katong manual, dugay na daw to, wala pa si Governor (Hilario) Davide, diha na kuno na manual,” he added.

One of the nurses also told Ortega that his actions were based on his personal interpretation of a memorandum issued by Villaganas which stipulates that the ambulance of the district hospital has “priority functions,” adding that the memorandum did not state that the ambulance cannot be used by other individuals in dire need of help.

“Wala mag-mention sa memorandum ni Villaganas nga dili pwede gamiton. Gi-mention lang didto kung unsay mga priority nga gamit sa ambulansya pero wala mag-ingun nga di gamiton,” Ortega relayed.

The priority functions, according to Villaganas’ memorandum includes referrals of patients to tertiary hospitals within Cebu City; to transport hospital personnel with business transactions at the Capitol and banks; to purchase hospital materials; to transport patients needing the laboratory ad diagnostic procedures not available in the hospital, such as X-ray and chemistry tests but within the cities of Naga and Minglanilla only.

However, Provincial Health Office (PHO) Chief Rene Catan, recently said Villaganas’ memorandum is in conflict with Department of Health order dated January 7, 2010.

The DOH’s order states that “ambulance services is one of the vital health services for the delivery of pre and post-hospital care to a sick patient or to an injured patient resulting from an emergency or a disaster.”

According to the department’s order, ambulance services include the transport of patient from the area of incident to the emergency room of the receiving hospital for definitive care; the transfer to another hospital for further diagnostic and treatment purposes and rendering emergency medical care and life support to sustain stability of the patient in transit to and from hospital, as a special health service.

Ortega said Villaganas has already submitted her written explanation, though he still needs to review and also check accounts from other parties, particularly regarding the manual followed by the nurses.

The CODI will invite Catan for another round of preliminary conference scheduled on June 28, said Ortega.

“Mangutana mi niya para mahingpit (ma-kumpleto) ang makuha nga datos o information , kung naa ba’y tulubagon or basis nga i-formal charge si Villaganas or wala,” Ortega added.

Part of the CODI’s inquiry will also be to determine whether Catan is aware of the existence of the manual in question and whether this manual is used only by Minglanilla District Hospital or if it is used by all province-owned hospitals.

Villaganas was earlier placed on preventive suspension by PHO for refusing to convey a hit-and-run victim using the district hospital’s ambulance, which resulted in the latter’s death. —/JBB (FREEMAN)