MANILA, Philippines - A physician has decided to address the controversy that has hounded a doctor at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) hospital.
Dr. James Abraham Dacanay Malala, a graduate of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, has revealed several reasons as to why Dr. Ana Liezel Sahagun, an OB-Gyn resident of the said hospital, has denied the admission of a pregnant woman.
In a lengthy Facebook post that went viral this week, a certain Andrew Pelayo has accused Sahagun of refusing to admit his pregnant wife who was in labor because they couldn’t afford to pay the downpayment. According to the grieving father, his child tragically died inside his wife’s womb because of Pelayo’s actions.
READ: Baby tragically dies after ob-gyne reportedly refused admission of mother in labor
Through a Facebook post, Malala explained why Sahagun was unfairly judged and wrongly accused by netizens.
Stating that UST hospital is not a government or charity hospital, Malala said that the hospital is on cash basis and requires payment for procedures and medications. However, he mentioned that the doctor’s professional fee and room service fee are free of charge in the said hospital.
READ: Hackers deface UST hospital website, urges probe vs. OB-Gyn resident
Malala mentioned in his post that Sahagun is a resident physician of UST hospital who does not get professional fee and therefore, will not benefit from the patient’s money. The physician stressed that Sahagun was just following hospital protocols contrary to accusations that she is money-driven.
The physician also revealed that the parents were advised to transfer to a hospital that can cater to their needs based on their capacity to pay early on after the Sahagun confirmed that the mother and the baby were stable. Malala questioned as to why the couple still returned to UST hospital.
According to Malala, pregnancy or ongoing labor are considered a relatively non-emergency case when it comes to the financial aspect.
“The patient and her husband should have at least saved enough money for 9months (7 months if premature) in preparation for childbirth (responsible parenthood). I am also curious if they have PhilHealth because being responsible to one’s health should at least invest on a PhilHealth benefit (the least of what our government can do),” Malala wrote.
Malala believes that the country’s health care system may be blamed for such problems and that the people should have given the hospital or Sahagun the chance to explain their side first before making conclusions.
“Social media posts and access to healthcare have things in common. Both “a right” & also “a responsibility,” Malala ended his post.
UPDATE: The Department of Health (DOH), UST hospital and Dr. Sahagun are yet to release their statements. Meanwhile, here's the full interview conducted by Dr. Willie Ong to get the 'real story' from the Pelayo family.
Dr. James Abraham Dacanay Malala, a graduate of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, has revealed several reasons as to why Dr. Ana Liezel Sahagun, an OB-Gyn resident of the said hospital, has denied the admission of a pregnant woman.
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| Malala believes that his fellow doctor Sahagun was unfairly judged and wrongly accused because of viral social media post. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Andrew Pelayo |
In a lengthy Facebook post that went viral this week, a certain Andrew Pelayo has accused Sahagun of refusing to admit his pregnant wife who was in labor because they couldn’t afford to pay the downpayment. According to the grieving father, his child tragically died inside his wife’s womb because of Pelayo’s actions.
READ: Baby tragically dies after ob-gyne reportedly refused admission of mother in labor
Through a Facebook post, Malala explained why Sahagun was unfairly judged and wrongly accused by netizens.
Stating that UST hospital is not a government or charity hospital, Malala said that the hospital is on cash basis and requires payment for procedures and medications. However, he mentioned that the doctor’s professional fee and room service fee are free of charge in the said hospital.
READ: Hackers deface UST hospital website, urges probe vs. OB-Gyn resident
Malala mentioned in his post that Sahagun is a resident physician of UST hospital who does not get professional fee and therefore, will not benefit from the patient’s money. The physician stressed that Sahagun was just following hospital protocols contrary to accusations that she is money-driven.
The physician also revealed that the parents were advised to transfer to a hospital that can cater to their needs based on their capacity to pay early on after the Sahagun confirmed that the mother and the baby were stable. Malala questioned as to why the couple still returned to UST hospital.
According to Malala, pregnancy or ongoing labor are considered a relatively non-emergency case when it comes to the financial aspect.
“The patient and her husband should have at least saved enough money for 9months (7 months if premature) in preparation for childbirth (responsible parenthood). I am also curious if they have PhilHealth because being responsible to one’s health should at least invest on a PhilHealth benefit (the least of what our government can do),” Malala wrote.
Malala believes that the country’s health care system may be blamed for such problems and that the people should have given the hospital or Sahagun the chance to explain their side first before making conclusions.
“Social media posts and access to healthcare have things in common. Both “a right” & also “a responsibility,” Malala ended his post.
UPDATE: The Department of Health (DOH), UST hospital and Dr. Sahagun are yet to release their statements. Meanwhile, here's the full interview conducted by Dr. Willie Ong to get the 'real story' from the Pelayo family.
- Mini, The Summit Express
