Mother to sue VSMMC docs

A bereaved mother from Talisay City is determined to file a complaint against doctors at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center over what she claimed was a “mishandled” operation that led to her son’s death.

In between sobs, Teresita Cañizares told reporters yesterday that one of the doctors who operated on her son, Chuck, allegedly admitted that they were late to observe that the patient’s heart had enlarged.

“Ingon, ‘sorry Nay, wala namo matuyo.’ Unsa diay na inyo gioperahan, iring kay sorry? Sorry Nay kay wala gyud namo naputlan kuno og ugat, nga wala nila tuyoa. Sorry Nay wala mi magdahom nga ingon ana. Ana lang?” Teresita said.

Chuck, 33, underwent gallstone removal at VSMMC on February 7. He died three days after.

The death certificate indicated that Chuck’s death was due to uncal herniation as the immediate cause; cerebral edema as antecedent cause; and hepatic encephalopathy West Haven 4 as the underlying cause.

But the family said they want another autopsy done on Chuck’s remains.

If disparities will be noted, they will use the results as evidence.

The family is now in talks with a lawyer and is preparing the official complaint.

The FREEMAN is withholding the names of the doctors, pending their statements and filing of appropriate complaint.

ADVICE

In a separate interview, VSMMC media liaison officer Eleodoro “Nonoy” Mongaya Jr. advised the aggrieved party to submit a “formal” complaint before the hospital for the management to answer the allegations raised.

Dr. Jaime Bernadas, Department of Health-7 director, said all complaints of medical malpractice are handed over to the ethics committee of the Philippine Medical Association and the Professional Regulation Commission.

To note, VSMMC is a DOH-retained hospital based in Cebu City.

Bernadas said DOH-7 handles the administrative aspect of the case.

“Such complaints shall be in affidavit form and verified in a Court of Justice and or submitted to the chief of the hospital to initiate an investigation,” he told The FREEMAN in a text message.

LONG OPERATION?

Chuck worked as a security guard, was married, and had a 12-year-old son.

His wife, Charlyn, said her husband suffered severe stomach pain in the midst of the New Year revelries last January 1, prompting them to see a doctor.

Chuck spent three days at a hospital in Minglanilla town where he was admitted due to acute gastritis.

Later, he underwent several laboratory tests until a private hospital in Cebu City found out in an ultrasound that Chuck had stones inside his gallbladder.

Sometime in the second week of January, the couple went to VSMMC’s out-patient department to have Chuck scheduled for an operation.

His operation for the removal of gallstones was later set for February 7, although he was admitted at the hospital a day earlier.

Charlyn said she was still able to speak with her husband a day before the operation. But on the succeeding days, particularly on February 9, Chuck reportedly felt severe pain again and could not talk.

The next day morning, on February 10, Chuck breathed his last at the hospital.

“Nananghid pa akong anak nga moadto na sila kuyog sa iyang asawa aron magpa-opera. Ang ako pang anak maoy nagdrive sa motor, angkas ang iyang asawa padung sa Vicente Sotto pero pila ka adlaw nigahi nalang diay ang akong anak,” Teresita said.

According to the mother, she was wondering why it took 10 hours for doctors to remove the gallstones when the operation, according to her, normally takes just three hours.

“Sa ato pa, gitabangan diay to nila og practice akong anak. Bantog ra ang (pagtangtang sa) gallbladder three hours ra unya 10 ka oras didto. Unsa na nag-lecture pa sila sa operating room?” she lamented.

“Gusto namo mahibaw-an og unsa gyud ang sitwasyon tungod kay dili mi makadawat sa panghitabo. Pursigido mi nga mopasaka og kaso,” the mother added.