Rama orders CCMC doctor probed

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama has ordered the management of the Cebu City Medical Center to formally investigate the doctor who was accused of alleged negligence that placed the life of an eight-year-old boy in danger.

Rama issued the order to City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete before he left for Xiamen, China yesterday to attend the 15th China International Fair for Investment and Trade. Rama said the matter has to be acted upon as soon as possible.

The mayor said the CCMC management must not hesitate to take an action should it find that a violation was committed.

The doctor, who was assigned at the Triage Section, was accused of allegedly misdiagnosing a child who was suffering from dengue. The doctor allegedly sent the boy home even after the child was rushed to CCMC upon the advice of the health center in Barangay Labangon.

The doctor also allegedly prescribed nothing but paracetamol and a digital thermometer for the boy. The next day, however, the child started bleeding on the nose and started vomiting hard with traces of blood in it.

The boy was rushed again to the hospital and had to be confined for five days from August 10 to 15.

It was another doctor at CCMC who raised the complaint.

In a separate development, Rama also wants to reopen the investigation into the Philhealth checks lost to fraud. The probe was stalled after the subject of the investigation filed an injunction case in court against the members of the investigating committee.

Poblete said they would still need to argue in the court because the case filed by CCMC Credit Officer Lourdes Archua remains pending. Rama ordered the administrative investigation against Archua last year, but the court temporarily stopped the same.

Rama went to Xiamen with Councilor Edgardo Labella, Cebu Investment Promotions Center representative Alberto Gumarao, Assistant City Administrator for economic enterprise Dominic Diño, Representative from the business sector Artemio Tudtud and Consultants on Utilities, Trade and Protocol Paul Hubahib, Procopio Fernandez and Angel Espiritu. The 15th China International Fair for Investment and Trade will run from September 8 to 11. – (FREEMAN)