Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Victorias mayor rushed to hospital; doctors says he’s fine now By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
UNKNOWN to some, Victorias City Mayor Severo Palanca was rushed to Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod at about 4 p.m. Saturday last week.
Contrary to some reports, however, the re-electionist mayor, was not in a serious condition, but remains fully-conscious since Saturday until press time.
He's also doing well at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Riverside Medical Center, said Dr. Ernesto Palanca, younger brother of the mayor when interviewed over the phone Monday night.
"Mayor Palanca has never suffered any serious condition except that the family decided to confine him at the ICU for thorough treatment," Dr. Palanca clarified.
The 73-year-old mayor was rushed to RMC shortly before 4 p.m. last Saturday after he kept vomiting at the Casino Filipino Hotel at the Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Bacolod City.
Dr. Palanca said based on medical disclosures of the mayor's private nurse Marvin Medel, the mayor, prior to the incident, had just ate matiang(Chinese
delicacy) in one of the restaurants at Gaisano City, Singcang-Airport in Bacolod at around 3:00 p.m.
From the mall, the mayor proceeded to Casino Filipino Hotel for an official function but he went directly to the comfort room where he suffered successive vomiting, prompting Medel to contact Dr. Palanca who was in Manila at that time.
The Mayor's blood pressure at the time was 140/100, Dr. Palanca said quoting Medel.
"That's why I immediately instructed Marvin to bring the mayor to the hospital and consult a neurologist or internist," he said.
“Thank God nothing serious happened to the mayor, Dr. Palanca said,” adding, "Probably, the mayor's symptoms resulted from over fatigue. We were in Manila for three days from Monday to Wednesday last week and he went to various national offices to follow certain updates of funding for their projects in Victorias."
Dr. Palanca, however, revealed that the same also happened to the mayor four years ago prior to the 2004 elections.
At that time, he said Mayor Palanca was diagnosed of having a leak in the right portion of his brain but it was already treated.
"To ensure that everything is thoroughly checked, we will let him undergo another CT scan today. We are confident that he will be discharged from ICU and be brought to Room 205, a reserve room for him here at RMC so he can relax for two to three days before he will finally discharge from the hospital," Dr. Palanca said.
Dr. Palanca also assured people of Victorias that Mayor Palanca is still fit to run for mayor.
"Nothing to worry. He's fit. He's okay and he can still campaign for his re-election," the younger Palanca added.
