Garcias to hospital: Dialogue? Release medical records first

CEBU, Philippines —  The Garcia family will only engage in a dialogue with the management of Chong Hua Hospital (CHH) if the latter will provide first the medical records of Barili Mayor Marlon and former Dumanjug mayor Nelson Garcia.

“Give us the records first and let's go with the dialogue,” said former Government Service Insurance System president Winston Garcia following a statement from the hospital on Friday saying it was willing to talk the issue out with the Garcias.

The Garcias demanded the release of “clinical records, the nurses’ notes, all the records and all procedures done” on Marlon and Nelson, both died at the hospital after getting admitted for COVID-19. They had been declared COVID-recovered before their passing.

“Provide us all the records that we are asking…because we wanted to know that after letting us spend almost P9 million,” Garcia said in yesterday’s press teleconference.

“They were all giving excuses not to give us the records. If they have nothing to hide and if they explain to us why after letting us spend almost P9 million our two brothers died, then give us the records first and let's go with the dialogue with those two doctors because we have a lot of questions,” he added.

The Garcias said Marlon’s hospital bill ballooned to P5.2 million while Nelson's to P3.2 million, excluding doctor's fees, during their one-month admission at the hospital.

Marlon and Nelson were each billed P800,000 for the personal protective equipment alone used by the medical team who attended them.

Winston said CHH wants the Garcias to provide the death certificates of Marlon and Nelson and the special power of attorney before the records will be given to them.

“They were demanding the IDs of our brothers and the death certificates. They were the ones who issued the death certificate and they were asking the death certificate of our two brothers before they will give us the record then special power of attorney. Our two brothers were already dead,” he said.

The FREEMAN tried to contact CHH for comment but to no avail as of this writing.

Earlier, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu Third District Rep. Pablo John Garcia raised questions on their brothers’ deaths.

Nelson died of cardio pulmonary arrest secondary to probable pulmonary embolism, while Marlon died due to septic shock secondary catheter related blood stream infection, ventilator associated pneumonia. Nelson and Marlon died barely a week away from the each other.

Gwendolyn and her family decided to meet with the doctors to discuss their situation but the doctors allegedly refused to meet them and so they opted to have a phone call.

Doctor’s threat?

Winston said one of the attending doctors of Marlon reportedly insisted to intubate the latter.

The same doctor also “threatened” Marlon, said Winston.

“As a matter of fact, to convince Marlon to agree to that intubation she threatened Marlon. Ang iyang word 'daghang malipay kun mamatay ka Marlon. So sugot na lang nga pa-intubate.’ I heard that from her mouth, you can quote me on that, that she said that to us, that she told Marlon that,” Winston said.

Winston said he hopes that CHH is “sincere” with its statement.

He was referring to the statement the hospital released Friday, September 18.

“With the consent of the family (of the Garcias), we are ready to dialogue with them, and provide any answers that may help them in their search for closure,” the statement read.

CHH said it provides only “the best possible care for its patients.”

“The judgements of the medical team are backed by their extensive training and experience as doctors and medical practitioners, and based on verified data. Their actions are consistent with globally-accepted and clinically-established procedures applicable to the patients’ diagnoses,” the statement added.

In particular, the hospital said, the two physicians who attended to the Garcia brothers were reputable and outstanding doctors, and are specialists in their fields. — KQD (FREEMAN)