Saturday, August 18, 2007 Hospital sued for P2 million by Dapitan city mayor
THE mayor of Dapitan City has filed a civil suit against Chong Hua Hospital and is seeking at least P2 million in damages before the Regional Trial Court in Dipolog City.
Mayor Dominador Jalosjos Jr., in his eight-page complaint, narrated the “malicious, unprofessional, reckless, wanton and unjust treatment” he experienced during a medical check-up last June.
Named respondents are Asociacion Benevola de Cebu Inc., the board that runs Chong Hua Hospital; Victoriano Go, chairman of the board; Lim Liu, Chong Hua president; finance officer Genevieve Pangilinan; and medical director Helen Po.
Jalosjos stated that before he came to Cebu, he asked how much he would be spending for an executive check-up. He was informed that it would be around P19,000.
Jalosjos then arranged to stay in Cebu from June 4 to 6 of this year.
Upon arrival, he said the hospital required him to pay P10,000. His attending doctor then ordered for a sleep test and test operation, which would cost him P49,000.
Jalosjos said he couldn’t pay that day because he was informed late in the afternoon and the banks were already closed.
“As early as 6 a.m. the following day, defendant already demanded from plaintiff the payment of P34,000 to plaintiff’s annoyance and embarrassment,” Jalosjos said.
During banking hours, Jalosjos paid the amount.
But due to discrepancies, the hospital demanded an additional P7,371.90, allegedly in the middle of an “embarrassing” medical procedure.
“Plaintiff felt very annoyed, embarrassed, humiliated and harassed because of defendant hospital’s reckless and unprofessional behavior of demanding from him additional payment and asking him to sign documents even while he was in the middle of a colonoscopy procedure,” the complaint read.
Further, “He (Jalosjos) was only wearing a medical gown with his bare back and bottom exposed.”
During his last day, the hospital again presented an additional billing early in the morning, Jalosjos said.
That prompted him to immediately settle his bills and check out, although he had yet to undergo the other medical procedures he was scheduled to go through.
Jalosjos said he paid a total of P70,000 that included payments for the cancelled sleep test and test operation.
The mayor asked for exemplary damages of P1 million and another P1 million as moral damages for the embarrassment he experienced.
Jalosjos also sought actual damages of P50,000 for the aborted medical procedures and legal expenses of more than P100,000.
Sun.Star Cebu tried calling Po twice for a reaction, but the secretary said she was in a meeting during the first call and, later, that Po was entertaining Korean visitors in the hospital.
The call was then forwarded to Liu, who was also said to be in a meeting. (JGA)
