GMA’s health continues to deteriorate – VMMC

MANILA, Philippines - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s health continues to deteriorate.

In a medical certificate dated Nov. 14, 2013 but released to media only yesterday, Dr. Antonio Sison of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC)’s Department of Orthopedics said the diagnosis on Arroyo is “Cervical Spondylotic Radiculophathy, Degenerative Lumbar Spine Disease and Post Cervical Spine Decompression with Instrumentation.”

The medical certificate has been submitted to the Sandiganbayan where a plunder case has been filed against her for alleged involvement in the misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds.

Sison, a spine surgeon, said a repeat Magnetic Resonance Imaging test on Arroyo showed a multilevel lumbar spine stenosis with nerve root compression.

The medical certificate also cited a recent bone densitometry test, showing Arroyo is suffering from osteoporosis.

“These findings correlate with her symptoms of continued cervical and lumbar pain, with further deterioration of her poor physical health,” Sison said.

“These irreversible and progressive developments may cause serious impairment of her health and danger to her life, if not attended to promptly,” he added.

Arroyo has been confined at the VMMC since December 2011 after undergoing three major cervical spine surgeries at the St. Luke’s Medical Center.

She was discharged in July 2012 but readmitted in October 2012.

Arroyo has been asking the Sandiganbayan to grant her bail, saying that the evidence against her in the PCSO case is weak.

The former President’s camp maintained that continued hospital detention is not helping improve her health condition.

Dr. Ernesto Palanca, a former surgery professor of the University of Sto. Tomas, in a medical certificate submitted to the Sandiganbayan First Division in August last year, said he believes that Arroyo, whom he described as “suffering sick lady,” should be temporarily released from detention.

“She is a person with body and spirit. How can she, by her own self, increase her anti bodies and enhance her own immune system if the authorities continue to detain her as an accused criminal?” he said.

“In my opinion, one mode worth trying to reverse the ongoing deterioration of her health is to release her from detention even on temporary liberty so that her body can rally the protective forces only her mind can command to combat the negative forces that are making her sicker day by day,” he added.

Arroyo has appealed the Sandiganbayan ruling rejecting her petition for bail in November.