DOH to send team to probe Butuan hospital

MANILA, Philippines - A team from the Department of Health (DOH) will fly to Butuan City this week to investigate the death of a 10-year-old girl who was reportedly refused treatment by a local hospital.

Last Monday, the girl’s mother Remedios Chan filed a complaint with the DOH-Bureau of Health Facility and Services against the Butuan Doctor’s Hospital (BDH).

“Some of my staff, with a lawyer from the legal service, will be going to Butuan maybe on Friday to look into this. Since we now have the statement of the parents, we will get the side of the hospital,” said bureau director Nick Lutero.

The team will determine if the hospital violated Republic Act 8344, which contains provisions on collection of deposits and refusal to administer treatment in emergency cases.

“We want to know if that was really an emergency case. What is crucial here is the definition of emergency case. We’re looking into that,” Lutero said.

In her complaint, Chan said she first brought her daughter Jannary to a hospital in Agusan del Sur last July 13 due to a heart ailment. She said she decided to transfer her to the Butuan Doctor’s Hospital.

The BDH allegedly refused to treat Jannary when Chan failed to pay in full the P30,000 deposit.

Chan decided to bring Jannary to a hospital in Davao City but the girl died along the way.

BDH officials have denied the allegation against them.