OsMak appoints own team to manage Napoles' health

MANILA, Philippines - The Ospital of Makati (Osmak) will have its own counterpart team of doctors to manage the health condition of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles alongside her team of personal physicians.

Dr. Perry Peralta, Osmak medical director, told reporters Thursday that while the hospital agreed to have the personal doctors of Napoles take part in her treatment at the hospital, they will only do so subject to the provisions of the orders of the Makati court and the polcies of the hospital.

"Let me clarify that the Ospital ng Makati has the expertise, we have the equipment and the facility to handle the case of Mrs. Napoles. Naghain kami ng motion only upon the request of Mrs. Napoles, primary
reason of filing the motion is the welfare of the patient notwithstanding the fact that the patient is Mrs. Napoles," Peralta said.

"So the Ospital ng Makati will give the personal doctors of Napoles limited privilege to practice in the Ospital ng Makati," he  added.

Peralta said the Osmak medical team for Napoles will be headed by Dr. Florentina Villanueva, an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Peralta also said the Osmak team of doctors will be meeting Napoles' personal physicians Friday to discuss medical procedures and possible treatments for her. Napoles was earlier diagnosed as having uterine myoma.

On Wednesday, Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda issued an order authorizing Napoles' own choice of doctors to participate in her tatment.

The court earlier granted Napoles' motion to undergo surgery and be confined, but not at St. Luke's Medical Center, the hospital of her choice. Instead, the court chose OsMak, a public tertiary hospital within the court's jurisdiction.

Peralta said Napoles' private doctors are only allowed to “treat, handle, manage Mrs. Napoles – no other patient.”

Peralta said the Osmak team will be composed of a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, an anesthesiologist, a gynecologist-oncologist and a pathologist.

Peralta added that Napoles will shoulder the fees of her private doctors as her request to have them treat her “will incur additional charges."

Peralta added that Osmak is well-equipped to handle Napoles' treatment.

"The treatment required for Mrs. Napoles is not special and the Ospital ng Makati can do it we have to take it into the consideration the welfare of the patient regardless whether Napoles is the patient or not and regardless we acted on her request," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Florentina Villanueva said Napoles's condition at present is stable.

“As of this moment, wala naman siyang kino-complain and her vital signs are stable,” she said, adding that Napoles' diet is being managed and an endocrinologist is also monitoring the patient.

Peralta reiterated that a patient who had a similar condition as that of Napoles recovers fast from the operation.

“Maraming variables na kino-consider, we have to manage and evaluate her further before the operation. Depende sa findings during the operation at depende how fast she will recover after the operation. But if you were to put a timeline, walang mga dating sakit, walang complications, we give a timeline of more or less 26, that's a moving target,” he said.

He further said that Napoles can only have two visitors at a time during regular hospital visiting hours, from 10 a.m. to noon, and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.