PGH urged to take action vs Tulfo

Union employees of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and the University of the Philippines (UP) in Manila have urged the hospital administration to take action against columnist Ramon Tulfo for making a scene at the emergency room on Thursday night.

In a statement, the All UP Academic Employees Union-Manila Chapter said Tulfo and his team violated the fundamental rights of PGH personnel and its patients when they insisted on taking a video in the emergency room.

It alleged that Tulfo “bullied and verbally assaulted” hospital staff on the pretext of expediting service to a patient he brought.

“The union urges the PGH administration, as well as the UP Manila leadership, to take direct and formal action against Mr. Tulfo regarding the matter,” said the union, which has members that include PGH resident physicians and consultants.

“These two institutions have the legal and moral mandate to protect those under the purview of their responsibility, be they health personnel, students or patients,” it added.

In a video posted on his social media accounts, Tulfo slammed a PGH resident physician for supposedly declining to provide medical attention to the patient he brought to the hospital.

He also slammed PGH interns in a subsequent post, saying most of them are “rich kids” who do not care about the poor patients.

The patient, a minor, was hit by Tulfo’s driver while she was supposedly playing at a congested street in Navotas.

The union said Tulfo disregarded the triage, or the system that determines the priority on patients brought at the emergency room.

“Mr. Tulfo’s video clearly violates the fundamental rights of both the PGH personnel and the patients,” it said.

“The union also unequivocally condemns attempts at doctor-shaming instigated by Mr. Tulfo through various platforms on social media,” it added.