Wednesday, September 03, 2008 2 doctors, nurse in Black Suede controversy now back to work at Sotto hospital
THE two suspended doctors and a nurse involved in the controversial canister operation at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center have reported back for work.
Dr. Philips Leo Arias, head surgeon; Dr. Max Joseph Montecillo, surgeon; and circulating nurse Carmina Sapio have returned to work after serving their three-month suspension.
Arias, Montecillo and Sapio were suspended by the Department of Health (DOH) earlier in May in order to make way for the investigation on administrative charges filed against them over the controversial rectum operation on Genaro “Jan-Jan” Jorolan.
Jorolan sought help from the VSMMC medical staff upon the discovery of a perfume spray canister stuck in his rectum. However, the procedure made news when it was uploaded to the video-sharing website YouTube.com. The video showed the medical team and several other persons cheering loudly and clapping when the spray canister was removed from his rectum.
In a radio dyLA interview yesterday, Dr. Emmanuel Gines, VSMMC media liaison officer and emergency room department head, confirmed that the two doctors and one nurse have returned to work.
Trust
“Despite what happened and even if they are still under investigation, the hospital’s management still trusts them,” said Gines.
And it is not just the hospital’s management that still holds high regards toward Arias, Montecillo and Sapio.
“Even the patients still respect the doctors...the patients who are coming here are suffering from heart diseases, trauma, stab wounds, accidents. We do not make fun of them. We provide them with medical care,” said Gines.
Though Arias, Montecillo and Sapio are back at work, investigations on the controversial rectum surgery continue at the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
In July, Jorolan also filed an administrative complaint against the doctors before the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) 7 in hopes of having their medical licenses revoked. (EPB)
