Cops injured in line of duty; I will close hospitals refusing to admit – Tom

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña threatens to shut down any private or public hospitals in the city that will refuse emergency admissions involving policemen injured in the line of duty.

The mayor said the management of hospitals that will decline emergencies involving policemen with the absence of down payment will be dealt with accordingly.

“If I feel they can resolve it at their level, well and good. But I don’t like this incident to happen again.  Definitely, if it will happen again, I will take harsh steps because we have to protect the lives of our policemen, especially those who are injured in the line of duty,” he said.

Osmeña said he will not hesitate to close down a hospital that will refuse to admit a policeman without giving a deposit.

The incident happened last Thursday at a hospital in Cebu City when Police Officer 3 David Naraja Jr. was not given further medical attention without the P10,000 deposit the medical facility was asking.

The FREEMAN is withholding the name of the hospital pending comment.

The Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 has sent a letter to the concerned hospital, saying that the police organization will be making steps to air its grievances.

PRO-7 Director Jose Mario Espino said he sent the letter involving the operatives of Regional Special Operations Group of the region such as Naraja and PO3 Jemuel Villaflores last October 16 and August 15, respectively.

Naraja incurred a gunshot wound to his face during the shootout that killed alleged notorious hitman and murder suspect Jessie Largo in Talisay City.

Espino said he understands that the hospital is a business which can institute all measures to ensure economic viability.

"Upon reaching the hospital, the patient was immediately attended by the health care providers who were on duty that time. However, unexpectedly, absent the assurance that the patient was outside an emergency condition, and having been informed that the latter should be confined for further medical procedures, we were demanded of a deposit to be paid to the hospital as a prerequisite for such medical procedures," he said.

Espino said police organization's spirits were downcast that even servants like them who are risking their lives for the exigency of public service will share part of this "undesirable" experience.

Villaflores also experienced the same fate last August 15 in the same hospital.

"Our office is contemplating of instituting appropriate actions to air our respective grievances in proper forum arising from the two separate incidents the personnel of this office have encountered with the said medical institution," Espino said.

Osmeña said officials of the hospital have to answer the allegation thrown against them.

As for ordinary admissions, Osmeña said the city government will do everything to accommodate them but policemen should be a high priority.

He said it does not matter if he will be closing down hospitals owned by his friends.

“That’s a hard thing about being mayor. All your friends think they can get something,” he said.

As of now, Naraja is confined at the Cebu Doctor's Hospital which vowed to shoulder all the medical expenses of the police officer. (FREEMAN)