THE DEATH OF A YOUNG GIRL The death of a young girl due to the alleged refusal of admission by a big Hospital in Butuan should be investigated by authorities. I also suggest that lawyers give free legal assistance to the parents of Yanna, the young girl, aged 10, who died from cardiac arrest. Just a reminder: The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. Yannas parents were short of the 30,000 deposit the Hospital was asking, having brought only 10,000 pesos in cash. I do not know Yannas family, but based on the letter written by her mother circulating online, the young girl was previously confined at a hospital in San Francisco, Agusan, but she had to be transferred due to her condition. An ambulance brought the young girl to Butuan but when refused admission, her parents had no choice but to bring the patient to Davao City, which is a long trip from Butuan. The young girl, based on her mothers letter, died even before reaching Davao City. I cannot discuss the legal aspect of this issue. But as a citizen of the republic, if this report is verified, I condemn that Hospital in Butuan. Nothing is more abominable than refusing treatment to a dying child. I understand the business aspect of a Hospital, but I wonder where the Ethics Committee of that Hospital is. The members of the same must also be interrogated. While private hospitals need to earn profit, they are supposed to be centers of well-being and not money-making machines. These private hospitals might claim that if you are poor, you should seek treatment from a public hospital. That is wrong. There is a huge public interest aspect in hospitals and it is for this reason that they need to apply for a Certificate of Need from the DOH. Nothing in that document, nor in the FS they submit to banks when they apply for a loan, will state that the owners will ensure profit for the hospital. What is often put is the idea of service but in most cases, such is only good on paper. I know this country does not lack geniuses, but as you blink, more and more Yanna will die every hour, most of whom will become undocumented due to poverty and the reluctance of parents to pursue cases against rich hospital owners. Three key concepts are crucial in the hospital industry: efficiency, effectiveness, and immediacy. You can have a good doctor or facility and yet if service is not immediate, your patient suffers. Some hospitals can give immediate attention, but without the facilities and the expertise of doctors, service will not be efficient. You have very good doctors at SPMC, for instance, but because of the sheer number of cases, immediate service can suffer, although in most cases, it can still be effective. The thing is, emergency cases require those three principles to work in order to save a patients life. I dont agree that it is money that is needed. What is needed is compassion and understanding on the part of hospital owners and doctors with respect to the nature of their jobs. As they say, lawyers are always in a better position even if they lose a case because at least, their client is still alive. In the above case, that Hospital simply lost everything, including its moral standing.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 06:30:36 +0000
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