MANILA, Philippines - A hospital in Molino, Bacoor City in Cavite allegedly refused to admit a patient in critical condition due to lack of cash.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Eleazar Lagasca Del Rosario revealed that his father rushed his mother to Southeast Asian Medical Center on Saturday, February 6, after the latter experienced numbness in her left arm and leg as well as high blood pressure. Since the said hospital was the nearest medical facility to their village, Del Rosario’s father together with their driver/neighbor brought Del Rosario’s mother there.
After seeing the result of his mother’s ECG test, the doctor advised to have her transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a closer observation. His father was then instructed to go to the admission window where he was required to pay a downpayment of P40,000.
Unfortunately, Del Rosario’s father only had P10,000 at that time and would have to go home to get extra cash. Aware that his wife was in critical condition, Del Rosario’s father asked the admission staff to accept his money and promised to settle the balance as soon as possible by returning home to get extra cash.
“In fact, he just asked that my mother be given urgent medical attention and he could settle the rest of the "required downpayment" later, considering that my father has the capacity to pay,” Del Rosario write.
Sadly, the staff did not grant the request of Del Rosario’s father and refused to admit the patient to the ICU. According to the staff, they were following the hospital’s protocol: “no downpayment, no admission.”
Furthermore, the attending doctor also echoed the remarks of the admission staff and even advised Del Rosario’s father to transfer the patient to a public hospital or a charity ward of another private hospital.
The doctor allegedly told Del Rosari’s father: “Hindi naman ho sa minamata ko kayo ha, kakayanin niyo ho ba magbayad?”
(We’re not discriminating you, but do you have the capacity to pay?)
Del Rosario’s father had no choice but to take his wife out of the hospital since the doctor also refused to let the former leave the patient at the hospital. According to the doctor, patients should only be accompanied by their relatives during admission based on the hospital’s policy.
Although Del Rosario’s mother was transferred to a hospital in a nearby city, she suffered a stroke on the same night.
Based on Republic Act 8344, any hospital that refused to give appropriate medical treatment as well as support in emergency or serious cases will be penalized.
“In emergency or serious cases, it shall be unlawful for any proprietor, president, director, manager or any other officer, and/or medical practitioner or employee of a hospital or medical clinic to request, solicit, demand or accept any deposit or any other form of advance payment as a prerequisite for confinement or medical treatment of a patient in such hospital or medical clinic or to refuse to administer medical treatment and support as dictated by good practice of medicine to prevent death or permanent disability.”
As of press time, the management of Southeast Asian Medical Center, Inc. has not yet issued a statement regarding Del Rosario’s allegations.
Check out Del Rosario’s full story.
-Mini/The Summit Express
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| Southeast Asian Medical Center allegedly refused to admit a patient in critical condition due to lack of cash. PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.southeastasianhospital.com |
After seeing the result of his mother’s ECG test, the doctor advised to have her transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a closer observation. His father was then instructed to go to the admission window where he was required to pay a downpayment of P40,000.
Unfortunately, Del Rosario’s father only had P10,000 at that time and would have to go home to get extra cash. Aware that his wife was in critical condition, Del Rosario’s father asked the admission staff to accept his money and promised to settle the balance as soon as possible by returning home to get extra cash.
“In fact, he just asked that my mother be given urgent medical attention and he could settle the rest of the "required downpayment" later, considering that my father has the capacity to pay,” Del Rosario write.
Sadly, the staff did not grant the request of Del Rosario’s father and refused to admit the patient to the ICU. According to the staff, they were following the hospital’s protocol: “no downpayment, no admission.”
Furthermore, the attending doctor also echoed the remarks of the admission staff and even advised Del Rosario’s father to transfer the patient to a public hospital or a charity ward of another private hospital.
The doctor allegedly told Del Rosari’s father: “Hindi naman ho sa minamata ko kayo ha, kakayanin niyo ho ba magbayad?”
(We’re not discriminating you, but do you have the capacity to pay?)
Del Rosario’s father had no choice but to take his wife out of the hospital since the doctor also refused to let the former leave the patient at the hospital. According to the doctor, patients should only be accompanied by their relatives during admission based on the hospital’s policy.
Although Del Rosario’s mother was transferred to a hospital in a nearby city, she suffered a stroke on the same night.
Based on Republic Act 8344, any hospital that refused to give appropriate medical treatment as well as support in emergency or serious cases will be penalized.
“In emergency or serious cases, it shall be unlawful for any proprietor, president, director, manager or any other officer, and/or medical practitioner or employee of a hospital or medical clinic to request, solicit, demand or accept any deposit or any other form of advance payment as a prerequisite for confinement or medical treatment of a patient in such hospital or medical clinic or to refuse to administer medical treatment and support as dictated by good practice of medicine to prevent death or permanent disability.”
As of press time, the management of Southeast Asian Medical Center, Inc. has not yet issued a statement regarding Del Rosario’s allegations.
Check out Del Rosario’s full story.
CALLING THE ATTENTION OF Department of Health (Philippines):It was around 10PM last Saturday when my mother was rushed...
Posted by Eleazar Lagasca Del Rosario on Monday, February 8, 2016
-Mini/The Summit Express
