Garin reverses suspension order vs. Butuan hosp’l

By BEN SERRANO
Correspondent

BUTUAN City–Health Secretary Janette Garin has reversed an order to suspend the Butuan Doctors’ Hospital (BDH) in connection with the death of a 10-year old girl who died while she was being rushed to Davao City because she was allegedly refused admission by the hospital.

Garin said there is no clear and direct evidence linking the hospital to violation of a law penalizing refusal of any hospital to administer treatment due to failure to give a cash deposit. She reversed two resolutions issued by the Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Board (HFSRB).

The HFSRB had found the hospital liable for the 2014 death of 10-year old Hanna Chan, and slapped it with a 30-day suspension order for violation of RA 8344. The hospital appealed the decision to Garin.

In April 15, Garin signed a 23-page decision reversing the HFSRB’s ruling, and cleared the BDH of any wrongdoing.
Garin however said the health department would assist parents of Chan in the criminal prosecution of the case.

In Jan. 14, assistant city prosecutor Benjamin Uy recommended the filing of criminal charges against Dr. Claudio Estacio, owner of BDH, and two hospital personnel–supervisor Maria Nita Gorme and admission staff Jackie Lincunafor–for violation of the law that prohibits the practice of demanding deposits, advance payments for confinement and treatment of patients in hospitals.

Uy stated that he found probable cause to approve the filing of the charges for violation of Section 4 of Batas Pambansa 702 as amended by RA 8344 against the three.

In the complaint, the parents of Chan, the child was refused admission to BDH in the evening of July 15, 2014 because they could not give a P30-thousand deposit.

Chan’s mother Remedios said they rushed the child from San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, and she only had between P8 thousand to P10 thousand with her at that time.