THE Department of Health (DOH) 7 has recommended the filing of administrative charges against several medical staffers of the Mandaue City District Hospital for the death of the wife of a former overseas worker last Jan. 3.
The seven-man DOH 7 fact-finding committee resolved to file the administrative charges against the hospital personnel, whose names and designations are yet to be divulged by authorities during the filing of charges.
“The committee cannot pass upon the issue of medical malpractice as the same has to be lodged before a competent tribunal, which may be the Professional Regulations Commission,” read the DOH 7 seven-page investigation report dated Feb. 10.
One witness earlier told the committee that five nurses and a security guard helped each other handcuff Jocelyn Coliflores to bed during treatment.
Coliflores, 40, died at the Mandaue City Hospital last Jan.2. But her relatives said Coliflores was reportedly administered with an unidentified drug without undergoing laboratory testing.
Her death certificate states that Coliflores died from “sudden cardiac arrest” and “left ventricular hypertrophy.” Both are heart ailments.
Inocencio dela Cerna, counsel of Cesar Coliflores, husband of Jocelyn, said the investigation report jibed with their complaint to file criminal and administrative complaints against the hospital personnel.
Dela Cerna said they will amend their complaint and include other respondents in the filing of complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7, which is currently conducting its own investigation on the case upon the request of the Coliflores family.
The investigation report will be submitted to the NBI and City Legal Office of Mandaue City.
“We are also urging the Mandaue City Legal Office to finalize its investigation in lieu of the fact that the DOH has already submitted its investigation report so that we can collate it and submit it to the NBI,” said dela Cerna.
Cesar said he will pursue the case until justice is served for his wife’s death. He vowed not to accept any attempt to settle the case.
In the investigation report, the DOH’s fact-finding committee ruled, though, that the medicines given to treat the complaints of Mrs. Coliflores were “in tolerable and acceptable doses.”
The committee also did not take action on the request of Mr. Coliflores to place Dr. Antoinette Alcantara, the attending physician who assisted the patient, under preventive suspension since it has no authority to impose any sanction.
Cesar said he was disappointed by the findings of the DOH fact-finding team, but he is determined to pursue criminal and administrative complaints against the medical personnel who attended to his wife at the Mandaue City Hospital.
“Makalibog kaayo ang report sa DOH (The report is very confusing),” he told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview yesterday.
Protocol
While the report recommends that the Coliflores family file complaints before the Professional Regulatory Commission, it says that the doctors and nurses did not violate DOH standards and protocols and that the dosage of medicine administered to Jocelyn was tolerable and acceptable.
Mandaue City Legal Officer Giovanni Tianero shared Cesar’s sentiment, saying the findings and recommendation seem conflicting.
In a separate interview, he said the City will request the Cebu Medical Association to make an opinion on the manner in which Jocelyn was handled inside the hospital to support the City’s own investigation.
Tianero said the City cannot impose disciplinary action on the doctors and nurses based on the findings of the DOH.
“There are no strong grounds and evidence to order preventive suspension against the medical personnel,” he said.
For his part, Coliflores said he will continue to go after the people responsible for his wife’s death.
The fact-finding committee also recommended the filing administrative charges against the hospital staff before the Professional Regulations Commission since the DOH has no jurisdiction over medical malpractice complaints.
Symptoms
The committee also called on authorities to conduct an autopsy, or further evaluation, of the cadaver of Mrs. Coliflores to determine pathological finding, or symptoms of a disease, that may be missed during the first autopsy.
The committee also urged the hospital to perform basis laboratory tests or take specimen for laboratory tests while the patient is at the emergency room prior to transfer to the ward or room.
The hospital personnel are also told to categorize patients as emergent, urgent and non-urgent in the emergency department after establishing clinical assessment process, which may include diagnostic services to clearly define their appropriate disposition.
The district hospital personnel are also urged to observe the four-hour standard waiting time for patient at the emergency room within which suitable disposition could be established.
The committee also told the hospital to issue only one discharge summary and not to use the document as a tool for billing purposes to avoid confusion and misconception.
The hospital issued two discharge summaries: One was incomplete and was issued for billing purposes only, while the other complete document was signed by Dr. Alcantara, the attending physician, and Dr. Rachel Anne Segovia, the resident physician on-duty.