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Thursday, September 23, 2004
Povincial board probes medical center on drugs controversy
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
MISAMIS Oriental Vice-Gov. Julio Uy announced that they are looking into the possibility of investigating reports of Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) nurses and doctors being engaged into illegal drugs.
Uy said he is going to raise this issue with the Provincial Board (PB) this week.
He said they would be checking into whether they would conduct an investigation in aid of legislation concerning these reports.
"I will bring up this matter regarding reports that NMMC medical practitioners are engage into these illegal drugs and possibly investigate the matter and come up with legislation to make sure it won't happen again," he said.
He added that this would be taken up by PB Committee on Health and Sanitation chaired by PB member Dr. Santiago Sabal and PB Committee on Police and Public Safety headed by PB member Norris Babiera.
Last Monday, the City Council has also announced their intentions to conduct an inquiry on this same controversial matter and even invite NMMC officials to shed light on this issue.
In a separate interview, Sabal said he would gladly look into the matter after consulting with the other members of his committee.
Earlier, the regional office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-10 earlier arrested an NMMC nurse in a buy bust operation.
It recently disclosed that they are currently monitoring five doctors and nurses working at the NMMC for allegedly engaged in illegal drugs activities.
NMMC chief hospital administrator Dr. Evelyn Clarete told the local media that situations wherein nurses and doctors are engaged in illegal drugs activities is a "common" hospitals.
"Unay man gud sila sa mga tambal ug kusog gyud ang tentansyon sa ilaha (Everyday, these medical personnel are working close with these medical supplies and that the temptation is strong for them)," she said.
Uy said the PB could possibility look into putting up a system to help make sure that these medical supplies don't pose great temptations to the medical staff.
"Perhaps we can work out a way of making sure that there is a system in place that would lessen this temptation," he said.
Clarete is calling on all hospital personnel to report to her any person who is into illegal drugs.
The City Council Health and Social Services Committee is also considering looking into the alleged involvement of some of the medical staff of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) into illegal drug activities.
Councilor Simeon Licayan who chairs the committee said he only heard of this report recently and added that he would get more information before delving into an inquiry into the case in aid of legislation.
He said should this prove substantial he would invite officials from the Department of Health (DOH) and the NMMC to shed light on this matter and probably institute whatever measures are essential to prevent this incidence.
(September 16, 2004 issue)
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