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THE
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday
filed charges against four physicians of the University
of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital for alleged negligence
that resulted in the death of a patient.
Arnel
Dalumpines, NBI-Special Task Force chief, said the
charges were filed with the Manila Prosecutor’s Office
against physicians Ria Bilog, Princess King, Donna
Maelyn Buhat and Jacqueline Banzon for the death of
Arnaldo Dalusung.
The
charges stemmed from the complaint lodged by the
victim’s wife, Charity Dalusung, 40, of 1413 M. Jhocson
Street, Sampaloc, Manila.
Charity
told investigators that on December 26, 2007, her
husband was rushed to the UST Hospital Emergency Room
after collapsing inside a computer shop. Arnaldo
reportedly fell down and hit his head hard on the floor,
which resulted in a noticeable bump on his head.
Upon
admission, Bilog allegedly advised that the patient
should undergo a computerized tomography (CT) scan to
determine the severity of his head injury.
However,
the victim suddenly suffered from a seizure and could
not move his jaw. The attending physician told the
complainant that the patient “was merely showing signs
of withdrawal from alcohol.”
The
patient eventually recovered from the seizure, and the
complainant told Bilog that her husband’s alcohol intake
was minimal.
Arnaldo
was confined for laboratory examinations. Charity was
told that she must wait to have her husband subjected to
CT scan as other patients are waiting for their turn.
The
following day, Charity narrated King, Banzon and Buhat
visited Arnaldo. Bilog, on the other hand, supervised
the patient’s treatment.
Charity
told the physicians that her husband was restless and
could not sleep. Thus, the patient was given a sleeping
pill. On that day, Charity said her husband was still
normal as he could still walk, eat and talk normally.
On
December 28, 2007, King told Charity that based on their
observation the patient’s liver was very “abnormal,” but
did not explain why.
When the
complainant asked Bilog about the CT scan, the physician
told her that the scan would no longer be done and
instead an electro encephalogram (ECG) examination will
be done.
The said
physician explained that, “The latter [EEG] examination
is literally the same as a CT scan as they both deal
with brain injuries.”
On the
evening of December 28, 2007, Charity said the patient
was given a sleeping pill and four white-brown tablets,
which were supposedly pampurga to prepare Arnaldo
for an ultrasound examination the following day.
After
taking the said tablets, however, Charity said Arnaldo
suffered another seizure, prompting Banzon to insert two
tubes, a respirator, and a nasogastric tube.
Charity
then asked Bilog why no antibiotics were being
administered despite her husband being feverish, Bilog
allegedly replied that she, too, did not know why the
patient was still running a fever and suggested several
laboratory tests and dialysis.
On the
same day, a tube was inserted in the patient’s arm to
monitor his heart beat. The following day, the
complainant informed the nurse that her husband was
emitting a gurgling sound.
The
nurse allegedly injected a liquid intravenously into the
patient and later pulled out the tube inserted to the
patient’s mouth and sprayed the IV liquid on the
patient’s mouth.
After
this procedure, Charity said Arnaldo suddenly choked,
experienced chills and had discoloration of the nails.
King, Banzon and Buhat conducted cardio-pulmonary
resuscitation to revive the patient.
Probably
because of this incident, Charity said the physicians
asked her to sign a waiver as the patient reportedly
would not survive dialysis. The complainant refused to
sign the waiver, but the physicians eventually convinced
her.
Arnaldo
then suffered another seizure and died.
Banzon
of the UST Hospital Department of Neurology and
Psychiatry said in her report that Arnaldo’s cause of
death was “due to cardio-pulmonary arrest probably
secondary to 1. Septic shock, 2. Acute renal failure and
alcoholic intoxication r/o withdrawal symptoms.”
On April
4, 2008, Arnaldo’s body was exhumed and was autopsied by
Ravell Ronald Baluyot, Medico-Legal Officer of the NBI
to determine the cause of death.
Baluyot’s findings showed that Dalusung’s cause of death
was “traumatic head injury.”
Dalumpines said the four UST physicians were summoned by
the bureau to shed light on the matter; but their lawyer
Albroto Nantes Azarcon III said that his clients reserve
the right to file their counteraffidavit and any
controverting evidence in their favor during the
preliminary investigation before the Manila Prosecutor’s
Office. |
