NBI probes death of woman rejected by 6 hospitals

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the death of a woman who died after reportedly being refused admission by six hospitals.

Jan Christian Bulatao, 32, said his wife, Catherine, needed surgery after she gave birth with the help of a midwife at their house in Barangay 183, Caloocan City on April 24.

Bulatao said they needed to take Kathy to the hospital to remove the placenta from her uterus.

The couple first went to the North Caloocan Doctors Hospital.

Bulatao said they were referred to the nearby Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center because the Caloocan hospital reportedly did not have a supply of blood.

He said the private hospital turned them away due to lack of rooms because several patients with coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 were reportedly confined in the facility.

The couple traveled to Far Eastern University Hospital in Fairview, Quezon City where they were reportedly asked to give a down payment of P30,000.

They went to the Bermudez Polymedic Hospital in Caloocan, but were allegedly told that the hospital has no equipment for the operation. 

Bulatao said they proceeded to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan where two hospitals reportedly rejected the patient.

The Skyline Hospital and Medical Center and Grace General Hospital reportedly said they did not have available obstetrician at the time.

When they arrived at the San Jose del Monte General Hospital – the only hospital that did not to turn them away – Kathy was declared dead on arrival. She succumbed to loss of blood.

Guevarra gave the NBI 10 days to submit an initial report.

On April 9, an elderly man from Nueva Ecija died after he was reportedly denied admission by six hospitals in Cabanatuan City due to lack of ICU (intensive care unit) rooms. 

Ladislao Cabling, 65, died of asthma.

Guevarra said hospitals refusing patients may be charged for violating Republic Act 8344, the law penalizing the refusal of hospitals to administer medical treatment in emergency cases and RA 10932 or the anti-hospital deposit law.