Father sues VSMMC doctor

CEBU, Philippines - A father has sued a doctor at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for damages after his son died allegedly because of the physician’s negligence.

 Davin Sedeño sought the court’s help against Dr. Mary Joy Villalon, whom he wants to pay a total of P2,454,600.

Sedeño, of Lawaan I, Talisay City, Cebu, is father of three year-old Raven James Claros who was confined at the VSMMC to undergo colostomy surgery, imperforate anus surgery and colostomy takedown surgery. Raven was born with imperforate anus.

 Colostomy is the surgery where an opening is made from the colon to the outside of the abdomen so that waste can leave the body from the colon.

 Raven underwent three operations. The attending physicians declared the two to be successful – the colostomy surgery and the imperforate anus surgery.

 For the third operation, Villalon reportedly informed Sedeño and his wife that colostomy takedown was “not a life threatening surgery.”

 Colostomy takedown is when the large intestine is reconnected with the rectum to restore the normal movement of stool.

 The scheduled operation of Raven was set on September 12, 2011 after the series of tests for X-ray, CBC and urine test were all normal. The tests were recommended by Villalon as part of the surgical preparation.

 Raven was admitted at the VSMMC on September 9, 2011.

 “On September 10, 2011, Dr. Villalon no longer allowed Raven to eat solid foods until midnight of September 11, 2011 wherein Raven was given intravenous fluids,” Sedeño said.

 At 12:15 p.m. on September 12, 2011 Raven was brought to the operating room where Villalon did the surgery for colostomy takedown.

 Sedeño said at 6:10 p.m. he went to the recovery room where he met Villalon and told him to monitor Raven’s stomach.

 On September 13, 2011 Sedeño said his son was neither allowed to eat solid foods nor drink water or milk. He added Villalon only prescribed medicines for Raven which he bought but the latter left and did not instruct any of the nurses in the station on what to do.

 He said on Sept. 13 at 11:00 a.m. he saw Raven’s bowel for the first time. He did not know it would be the last. After 30 minutes, his son suffered pain in his hand where the intravenous catheter was inserted. He called for a nurse and they tried to insert another in the right hand but failed. It was already 6:00 p.m. when they succeeded in inserting it, or after six and a half hours.

 At 8:00 p.m. Raven suffered convulsion. Sedeño said he had looked for Villalon but the nurses told him she was not around. Sedeño said Villalon directed him to have a mechanical ventilator as Raven had difficulty breathing but there was none available.

 He said at 10:10 p.m. he approached Villalon to inquire the health status of his son but the latter refused to say anything.

 It was a certain Dr. Clarette who told him that Raven died at 2:00 a.m. on September 14, 2011.

 Sedeño said he looked for Villalon to sign the death certificate of his son but it was Dr. Castro who signed it instead.

 When he went to the hospital morgue at 4:00 a.m. to get the remains of his son he was surprised that his son’s hands and feet were tied.

 Sedeño said on September 15, 2011 when he went to the VSMMC to pay the hospital bills and requested for Raven’s medical records, he was surprised when the hospital released another death certificate of Raven signed by Villalon and the cause of death was different from Villalon first said it was.

 “In this regard, it is universal rule that a physician or surgeon has the duty to use reasonable care and skill in diagnosis and treatment,” the complaint reads.

  “Dr. Villalon’s negligence therefore was the approximate cause of Raven’s death. Had she exercised reasonable degree of skill and care, Raven would still be alive today,” he added.

 The FREEMAN tried to get the side of Villalon through telephone calls to the surgeon department of VSMMC but no one answered. — (FREEMAN)