Staff asked for police report JVR’s son denied in M’daue hospital

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City District Hospital reportedly refused to treat the son of Talisay City Mayor Johnny V. De los Reyes and a companion, who figured in a road accident in Mandaue City last Saturday.

Talisay City Administrator John Yre De los Reyes said his younger brother John Venth, 21, and his girlfriend Salve Vega, sustained burns in their bodies after the hose of the radiator tank of the 1000cc engine motorcycle they were riding on exploded at about 10pm last Saturday, along Subangdaku in Mandaue City.

The younger De los Reyes and his girlfriend sustained severe burns, with De los Reyes having second degree burns on his right leg.

They were brought to the Mandaue City District Hospital for treatment but were told by hospital staff that they need to present a police report first.

John Yre, who went to the hospital to help his brother and his girlfriend, said that one of the medical staff refused to give treatment to the victims because they needed to submit first a report from the medico legal of the hospital before they will be treated. He explained that they could not present a police report because his brother did not report the incident to the police since the accident did not involve another vehicle.

However, an hour later, the elder De los Reyes added, a nurse approached him and said the hospital can't give initial treatment to the victims because they ran out of  burn ointment.

"Dili lang mi moduso og reklamo, ang ako lang basin nabuhat ni nila ngadto sa ubang pasyente unya luoy kaayo. Unta isipon nilang igsuon ang mga pasyenteng nanginahanglan og tabang aron dili sila magpanuko og atiman," he said.

John Venth and his companion were eventually transferred to the Dr. Ignacio Cortes General Hospital in Barangay Centro where they are given initial treatment and were then transferred to the Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City.

Mandaue City Administrator, Atty. James Abadia, yesterday told The Freeman that he already talked with the chief of hospitals to know more about the incident.

He said that the hospital, at the time of the accident, was reportedly filled to capacity and was dealing with life threatening cases. Since John Venth and his companion's case was not life threatening, they were referred to another hospital.

But Abadia said they will conduct an investigation into the incident and sanction the hospital staff if they did something wrong. — /QSB (FREEMAN)