Ombuds probes Argao tourism officer's death

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas yesterday docketed a fact-finding investigation into the death of the tourism officer of Argao because of the alleged failure of the Isidro Kintanar Memorial Medical Center to assign a nurse to accompany his transfer to a tertiary hospital in Cebu City.

Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca Santiago ordered the investigation based on newspaper reports.

Santiago said the anti-graft office will look into possible liabilities of the hospital management and the alleged policy that no nurse, whether outsourced or hospital staff, is allowed to accompany a patient in an ambulance.

Tourism officer Ted Villarmino died in the ambulance while in transit to Cebu City because of asthma attack last March 25.

The family of Villarmino is complaining why no hospital staff was assigned to accompany the patient in the ambulance. Villarmino was only accompanied by his helper.

The patient did not make it to the hospital in Cebu City as he passed away upon reaching Carcar City.

Integrated Provincial Health Officer Dr. Cristina Gianggo said they have already submitted their report regarding the incident to the office of the governor.

Gianggo denied the existence of the alleged policy that discourages nurses and other hospital staff from accompanying patients who would be transported in an ambulance to Cebu City because they are not covered with insurance if accidents happen to them along the way. 

According to Gianggo, even before the district hospitals were devolved by the Department of Health to the provincial government there was also no policy that oblige the hospital provide a nurse in the ambulance. 

She said it was only in 2006 that they have made an internal policy giving the hospital management the discretion whether or not to provide a nurse in the ambulance depending on the needs of the patient to be transported. 

Gianggo said they cannot determine whether the Argao district hospital management committed a violation of the internal policy because the discretion is given to them.

She however said that they will refer the matter to the provincial legal office to make the evaluation whether or not there is a need to bring the issue before the committee on discipline for appropriate adminrative investigation. –/FPL (THE FREEMAN)