CHR wants gov’t doctor suspended
DUMAGUETE CITY — Special investigator Jess Cañete, of the Commission on Human Rights-Negros Oriental, on Monday announced he will seek the immediate suspension of a female doctor of the provincial hospital for her alleged offensive behavior against her pa
Cañete said he will however ask the physician to answer the complaints, but he will go directly to the Office of the Governor to request for the suspension of the doctor, to avoid a repeat of previous complaints against her.
The CHR official said he began looking into the new complaint against the female doctor filed by 61-year-old Gelacio Balonio, of Barangay Mansabangan in Bais City, who claimed about an “unfriendly” encounter with her at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital.
Balonio recounted to reporters Monday afternoon that at 8 a.m. on Saturday, he was at Room 3 of the Upper Annex Building of the NOPH, where his daughter, 35-yearold Mercy Roma, has been confined, sharing with other patients.
According to Balonio, their primary doctor was a certain Dr. Borromeo, who had to leave early due to some family matters and that the female doctor took over to attend to his daughter, who has problems with her liver, among other ailment.
Balonio recalled that the female doctor, after having seen her daughter, allegedly berated them for not having the patient undergone a 2D-Echo, an ultrasound test for the heart.
Balonio replied they were not aware of such test, claiming they did not even get a request for it. This apparently irked the female doctor, who insisted to them the test was recommended in the medical chart. This doctor then told the patient she could not be cured of her illness and, if ever it will get better, it will still recur, Belonio narrated.
The female doctor’s pronouncement of a recurring disease allegedly caused Balonio’s daughter to lose hope and not eat anymore, while wanting to go home instead.
Balonio said they had already sold their cattle and other belongings for her daughter’s treatment, and had already spent around P80,000 for the five-day confinement at the hospital.
Cañete, who accompanied Balonio Monday afternoon, said he will be incorporating this latest complaint against the female doctor with a previous complaints that had been filed at the Provincial Board by another complainant.
Considering that these complaints have to undergo due process, Cañete said he was hoping Governor Roel Degamo will act first on the CHR request for suspension of the doctor to stop the latter from having direct contact with the patients at the NOPH.
Cañete told The FREEMAN she already cautioned provincial government officials against keeping the female doctor at the NOPH amidst a number of complaints raised against her, either with the CHR or even on air via some radio programs.