THE UST Hospital is standing by four of its doctors charged recently by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the death of a patient last year, criticizing the agency for conducting an autopsy without notifying it.
Hospital Medical Director Dr. Mateo Bagsic said the NBI was “unfair” to the hospital when it conducted an autopsy of Arnaldo Dalusung’s body without a UST representative. Authorities, however, said that it was not necessary.
Dalusung died December 31 last year, five days after being confined at the UST Hospital.
According to a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer last Oct. 9, doctors said the cause of death was “cardiopulmonary arrest, probably secondary to septic shock and acute renal failure and alcoholic intoxication ruling out withdrawal symptoms.”
But an NBI autopsy done last April 4 claimed death was caused by “traumatic head injury.”
Dalusung’s family also claims the wrong test was done on the patient — an electroencephalogram (EEG) to detect brain activity, instead of a computed tomography (CT) scan, which would have detected brain injuries.
The NBI accused doctors Jacqueline Banzon, Donna Mae Lyn Buhat, Ria Bilog, and Princess King for “reckless imprudence resulting to (sic) homicide” before the Manila prosecutor’s office last Oct. 8.
Bagsic said the NBI seemed to have kept the investigation under wraps.
“Though I do not question the credibility of the NBI medico-legal, I think the hospital should have been given proper representation during the autopsy for transparency,” Bagsic told the Varsitarian.
However, lawyer Abdul Jamal Dimoporo, legal counsel for the NBI Special Task Force, said it was not the job of the bureau to inform the hospital of the autopsy since they were only conducting an investigation.
“The bureau is not prosecuting anyone (so) I do not think it is necessary to inform (UST Hospital) of the exhumation process,” said Dimoporo, who made the report about Dalusung’s case that was filed with the City Prosecutor of Manila.
He said the doctors were given a chance to appear during the investigation, but sent a lawyer instead.
Bagsic said the NBI was not the proper body to subpoena the doctors.
“The NBI only does police work. They can only investigate (but) the official charges should come from the court,” he said, adding that the doctors “did not have time” to respond to the NBI summons.
Bagsic also said the Oct. 9 Inquirer story was faulty because it “indicted” the doctors despite the absence of official charges from the court.
In the meantime, the doctors were advised by their lawyer not to speak about the matter before the media, Bagsic said.
Oh yeah, NBI’s unfair? Then what do you call those doctors? FAIR?
C’mon, just give a valid and true explanation why this one happened.
The NBI is credible but they should coordinate with the UST Hospital before they make decisions. NBI just accused the doctors WITHOUT doing an investigation within the Hospital.
UST Hospital has been around for almost half a century of quality health care and I don’t think its Doctors will do such act. I should know since its been my hospital for the past 15 years. I don’t have any bad experience in the hospital.
This case is just an isolated case and will not ruin the university hospital
AS A WIFE OF THE VICTIM, THE DOCTORS DID NOT DO THE PROPER PROCEDURE AND PROPER TREATMENT TO THE PATIENT, THERE SO MANY KAPALPAKAN NA SUPPOSED TO BE DI DAPAT GAWIN. I KNOW THE WHOLE STORY FROM THE BIGGINING THAT MY HUSBAND ADMITTED AND TO LAST DAY THAT HE PAST AWAY/, MR, BAGSIC DONT TOLERATE ALL RESPONDENTS, YOU DID NOT SEE ALL WHAT HAPPEN TO MY HUSBAND. SUPPOST TO BE I WANT THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN, TO INCLUDE IN THE CASE BECAUSE SHES THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN AND HAD RESPONSIBLE TO THE PATIENT BUT WHAT SHE WILL DO SHE DID NOT AROUND AND LOOKING THE SITUATION OF MY HUSBAND TIME TO TIME. UNTIL MY HUSBAND DIED, DONT SAY THAT THE NBI DID NOT SUPOENA THE DOCTORS BUT THEY DO THAT THE RESPONDENTS DID NOT COOPERATE, MY HUSBAND IS NABAGOK THEY FELL IN THE FLOOR THE REASON WHY HE BRING IN THAT HOSPITAL, BUT WHAT THE RESPONDENTS DO THEY DONNOT DO ANYTHING PROCEDURE ABOUT PATIENT, THEY SAID ALL LIAR , WHAT DO YOU THINK THE DOCTORS IS PERFECT NO, PWEDE RIN SILANG MAGKAMALI SA LAHAT NG ORAS. ANYWAY , LAHAT NMN EH, PWEDE NYONG GAWIN, GINAWA KO LANG ANG DAPAT PARA SA ASAWA KO, AND KATOTOHANAN ; LAMANG ANG NAGPAPATIBAY SA PAGKATAO KO, DI KO MAN KAPANIG ANG BATAS , I KNOW KAPANIG KO ANG DYOS, LAHAT TAYO DUN ANG BAGSAK, KUNG DITO WALA ANG JUSTICE PARA SA ASWA KO , I THINK GOD MUST BE GIVE ME THE JUSTICE, HINDI BIRO ANG MGA PINAGDAANAN KO SA BUHAY AS A SINGLE PARENT, AND DAHIL DITO DI NAKAPAGTAPOS ANG ANAKK KO, ASAN ANG KUNSENSYA NYO, PARA GAWAN PA NG KUNG ANO ANONG KASINUNGALINGAN, KAMI ANG NAMATAYAN DAHIL SA KAPABAYAAN NG MGA DORTORS NYO, KUNG GINAWA LAMANG NILA ANG TAMA, HINDI MAGIGING MESERABLE ANG BUHAY NAMING MAG INA, MAGALIT NA KAYO KUNG MAGALIT WALA NA SA PAGKATAO KO ANG MAMATAY DAHIL MULA NG MAMATAY ASAWA KO PARANG PINATAY NA RIN NILA AKOP. MAGBALIGTAD TAYO NG SITWASYON I THINK GAGAWIN DIN NYO ANG NARARAPAT, ALL ACCUSATION TO THE NBI TO MY FAMILY ANT TO MY HUSBAND IS A BIG BIG LAIAR. NAGPAPASALAMAT PA NGA KO SA NBI DAHIL KAHIT NA SIMPLENG TAO LANG AKO BINIGAY NILA ANG SUPORTA NILA. DAHIL ALAM NILA ANG KATOTOHANAN. SORI FOR MY FEELING EMOTIONAL BUT THAT IS THE TRUTH, GOD BLESS U ALL.