DOH-7: Probe expired ointment

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health has ordered the Visayas Community Medical Center to conduct its own investigation into the prescription of two boxes of allegedly expired ointment to a baby patient.

“We want the hospital to act regarding the complaint of the parents,” said Dr. Lakshmi Legaspi, DOH-7 assistant regional director.

The baby’s mother Sherlane Sanchez has filed a complaint before DOH Wednesday due to the alleged negligence of VCMC medical personnel.

She said Vandol ointments with October 2013 and February 2015 expiration dates were part of the hygiene kit given to them by the medical staff after she gave birth last June 28 at the hospital.

The 24-year-old mother said she applied the ointments on her baby’s neck, which had rashes that time; but instead of healing, the rashes worsened days later and even spread across the infant’s face.

Legaspi said the hospital should probe why the “expired” ointments were given to the patient, adding that an investigation is important so that such incident would not happen again.

“We would not allow drugs to be dispensed after the expiration date. Part sa hospital pag-check kun wala bay expired na tambal because you are responsible for the dispensing of drugs to your patients,” she said.

Legaspi said Sanchez’s complaint was already forwarded to a DOH-7 fact-finding committee headed by Dr. Sophia Mancao, head of their Licensing Regulation Enforcement Division.

Legaspi said the committee will conduct a separate investigation once they will receive a response from VCMC.

No one at the VCMC, including medical director Eli Belarmino, was available for an interview yesterday.

Quoting Belarmino, Sanchez said he asked for forgiveness for the lapse committed by his staff and promised to forward their concern to the hospital’s top officials.

“Niangkon man pud siya (Belarmino)  nga naa sila’y sayop. Nangayo pud siya’g pasaylo namo,” she said.

Sanchez said her baby’s skin was now healed of the rashes after he was referred a private pediatrician, but added that their fight to make the VCMC personnel accountable for the lapse is not yet over.

“This is for the greater good para dili na mausab sa ubang pasyente ang ilang gibuhat,” she told The Freeman in a telephone interview.

She also said they sought DOH’s help because the nurses on duty at VCMC “maltreated” them and that their response was “unacceptable” when they tried to ask last week why the ointments given for baby were already expired

“Giingnan ra mi wa sila kabantay nga expired na ang gihatag namo kay busy sila. Gi-ingnan ra pud mi hilam-osan lang ang bata og tubig aron maayo. Almost a month nag-antos mi magtan-aw sa baby nga nag-antos pud sa kasakit. Dili mi katulog makakita sa kahimtang sa akong anak, human ingnon ra mi nila ana pagtubag? Gibaliwala ra mi nila,” she said. — Kristine B. Quintas/RHM (FREEMAN)