Saturday, May 17, 2008 Belo denies negligence in lawmaker's liposuction
CALOOCAN City second district Representative Mary Mitzi Cajayon clarified she has no resentment with Vicky Belo or the Belo Medical Group (BMG).
Cajayon recently filed House Bill (HB) 33417 proposing a mandatory pregnancy test for every woman at an age capable of giving birth before undergoing cosmetic surgery such as liposuction.
She said she is relentless to push the bill as she disclosed an alleged negligence of one of the doctors of BMG when she underwent liposuction procedure last March 2007 not knowing she was one week pregnant.
The lawmaker said she is not aware that she was pregnant when she went through the process including some preliminary procedures that might put her baby at risk.
Although, she successfully gave birth to a healthy child, she still fears that there might be a possibility the baby has been affected by the radiation and anesthesia she had before the proper liposuction.
According to Cajayon, she endorses the bill not only due to personal experience but also to help improve medical tourism in the country.
Meanwhile, last Wednesday, BMG management belied Cajayon testimonies in a statement saying, "Congresswoman Cajayon was asked three times by three different Belo personnel on when was her last normal menstrual period.
She answered her last period was one week before the surgery, which will make it impossible for her to be pregnant," the BMG said in a corporate statement.
The statement added that if their patient said she was uncertain about it (last menstruation) they could have advised her to undergo a pregnancy test as the clinic's policy.
It added that Cajayon signed a consent form confirming that she is not pregnant.
Cajayon said she got upset when she asked assistance from the management on her pregnancy and was told to wait and see but won’t be given any financial aid.
“Let's see if the baby will be abnormal...but we will not shell out any single centavo," Calayon quoted a staff from BMG. (JRDB/Sunnex)
