Ex-cop to sue hospital for illegal detention

MANILA, Philippines - A former Manila policeman is set to file illegal detention charges against the management of the UST Hospital for its continued refusal to discharge three members of his family until their hospital expenses are fully paid.

Joselito Lumaban told reporters yesterday that the hospital’s head of collection and billing, a certain Jannet Remo, refused to accept his promissory note without collateral and post-dated checks.

Lumaban’s hospital bills for his wife, son and sister-in-law have already accumulated more than P400,000 and continues to pile up daily since their confinement on March 27.

Eight family members of Lumaban were rushed at the UST Hospital after they were seriously injured in a vehicular accident in Bulacan when the vehicle they were riding was bumped from behind by a dump truck along the Pulilan viaduct on March 27. Lumaban’s 67-year-old mother-in-law, Norma de Jesus, died on the spot.

Five of the injured were subsequently released from the UST Hospital after paying more than P700,000 for medical expenses, according to Lumaban. “I was able to raise the money through the assistance of other relatives,” Lumaban said.

His wife Ofelia Lumaban, his 14-year-old son Mark Elexiz, and his sister-in-law Arleen de Guzman remained in the hospital. Lumaban said the three are now capable of home medication but the hospital refused to discharge them until he paid the hospital bills. “I promised to pay the hospital after we received our claims from the operator of the dump truck, since I am now financially dried up,” Lumaban said.

He said the three do not receive any medical attention now, but the bills continue to increase for the use of the hospital rooms.

According to Lumaban, Republic Act 7875 or the National Health Insurance Law refrains any medical institution from detaining patients which will be his basis in filing complaint against the hospital.