A DOCTOR from Barili, southern Cebu is facing an administrative complaint filed by a mother whose eight-month-old boy died because of dengue fever.
Mary Grace Maribao, a resident of Canduling, Ronda, filed the complaint before the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC).
Through lawyer Czareem Joseph Estella, Maribao said her baby would have been saved had the doctor “carried out her work diligently according to her oath” and if not for her “wanton, reprehensible and negligent acts.”
Sun.Star Cebu is withholding the name of the doctor pending her comment. She could not be contacted yesterday afternoon.
In her affidavit, Maribao narrated that around 8 pm. last Sept. 22, they took her son to the doctor’s private clinic because her baby had a “very high fever.”
“Surprisingly, after a short talk with (the doctor), the latter injected Valium on my child on the very flimsy reason that my son’s persistent crying can disturb other patients,” read the affidavit.
The next morning, Maribao added, the doctor ruled that the baby was suffering from amoebiasis so the baby was given intravenous fluids and antibiotics.
“Because I am aware of the dengue outbreak in the Province of Cebu and considering that symptoms of dengue are apparent like rashes on the skin, I confronted (the doctor)… But the latter hastily ruled that these were just ordinary skin rashes brought by insect bites,” said the mother.
Although dengue was already ruled out, she still asked the doctor if there’s no need to have a complete blood count (CBC) for the baby, but the doctor allegedly refused.
“For almost two days of confinement, (the doctor) persistently refused to have my child undergo CBC. The only alternative advice given is to put ice on the forehead aside from the paracetamol, antibiotics and Valium,” said Maribao.
On Sept. 25, the doctor took the dextrose out because the baby’s skin was swollen. The day after, the baby’s temperature was high again so they took him to the Barili District Hospital for a CBC, which showed that he had dengue fever.
They decided to transfer the baby to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, but the private doctor in Barili allegedly refused to give the baby intravenous fluids before the ambulance brought him to the city.
Carlos Sven Kintanar Del Mar, a nursing attendant from Ronda, also issued an affidavit stating that he asked the doctor to give dextrose to the baby but the doctor refused “and even said that the child is already OK.” (JPM)
