Friday, September 26, 2008 Official video shows rectal surgery followed standards: DOH 7 chief
THE official video documentation of Genaro “Jan-Jan” Jorolan’s rectal operation last January 13 followed official standards, a health official said yesterday.
Department of Health (DOH) 7 Director Dr. Susana Madarieta told Sun.Star Cebu the video taken by Dr. Joseph Alfred de Leon folloawed the procedures on how to officially document an operation.
“For official documentation, what you focus on is only the operation,” said Madarieta.
Earlier, Jorolan and his lawyer, Guillier Ceniza, questioned the official video submitted by Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) to the House committee on human rights.
Ceniza said the official video was significantly shorter than the videos being circulated by phone and through the Internet.
“What we have observed is that the official video of Vicente Sotto looked altered,” he said.
Ceniza said the official video presented to the House committee on human rights only showed the operation. It didn’t show the scene where the medical team was taunting the patient.
The official video failed to show the scene where the camera focused on the x-ray film showing the exact location of the canister inside Jorolan.
At the same time, the video failed to show Dr. Philips Leo Arias allegedly holding the canister.
Madarieta said that for the official video documentation of the operation, there was no need to videotape the act of Arias holding the canister or focusing on the x-ray film.
“The x-ray film is already part of the official documents of the operation, there is no need for it to be included in the video,” said Madarieta.
While the videos of Jorolan’s operation showed virtually the entire operation taken from every angle and capturing the crowd at the operating room, Madarieta said the official video was taken from one angle only.
“For the official video, it’s just one angle and that’s putting the focus on the operation and nothing else,” said Madarieta.
Last Tuesday’s hearing was the last hearing of the House committee on human rights on the controversial canister scandal.
Madarieta said the hearing would assist legislators in the passing of the anti-discrimination bill of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders.
Likewise, findings would help in the possible amendment of the Philippine Medical Act in terms of providing sanctions to erring medical practitioners. (EPB)
