By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
EVEN in death, former mayor Pablo Magtajas unwittingly brought to the light something that should concern city hall and every Cagayanon: the provision–and costs–of medical services in the city.
Magtajas’s demise on Monday night highlighted two problems: the shortage of intensive care facilities in the city, and the continued practice of hospitals to require downpayments from patients or their families despite a law that prohibits it.
The 77-year old Magtajas died of cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit of the Cagayan de Oro Medical Center on Monday evening, hours after he was rushed there from the Cagayan de Oro Polymedic Medical Plaza in Kauswagan that ran out of ICU rooms that day.
Dr. Ramon Nery, executive officer of the city hall-owned JR Borja Memorial General Hospital, said the Magtajas case underscored the need for government and the private sector to improve the capability of the city to treat patients who require intensive care.
Nery said time is of the essence when it comes to ICU cases, and when the doctor says the patient should be placed under intensive care, the facility should be readily available.
“Basta ipa-ICU na gani sa doctor ang pasyente, 50/50 ang chance sa kinabuhi ana. Mas maayo gyud masulod sa ICU kay dako ang chansa nga malibre ang pasyente kay na-a gud sa sulod sa ICU ang tanang klasi sa medical gadget nga ma-oy mag-monitor sa kahimtang sa pasyente,” Nery explained.
When it’s a 50/50 case, said Nery, the patient should immediately receive intensive care treatment.
Nery said he was saddened to learn that it took hours for Magtajas to be admitted to an ICU because all rooms were taken.
Magtajas was rushed to the Polymedic Plaza by his daughter Suzette at around noon time. No ICU space was available, and the ex-mayor had to wait for hours before he could be accommodated at another hospital, the Cagayan de Oro Medical Center.
He said the hours that Magtajas waited for a room had increased the risks of death.
“Unsa-on man gyud nga kulang pa man ang atong mga health facilities sa Cagayan de Oro, both private and government hospital. Ma-o nang dili gyud malikayan, walay bakanti ang atong nga ICU room,” Nery said.
Magtajas’s caregiver said the available ICU room literally came with a great price: a P50-thousand downpayment.
The former mayor’s daughter, Councilor Suzette Daba, confirmed that the Cagayan de Oro Medical Center asked P50 thousand from her.
Daba said she had no cash at that time and paid the deposit using a credit card.
Dr. Nery said the practice of asking for downpayments has remained prevalent in the city.
Nery claimed even his family experienced it when his mother-in-law was rushed to the hospital for intensive care.
“Gipangayo-an pud kami ug P50 thousand nga deposit, pero dili nalang nako nganlan unsa nga hospital,” he said.
Lawyer and former congressman Erasmo Damasing Jr. expressed dismay when he learned that Councilor Daba was asked a P50-thousand deposit.
“Hesus, Gino-o ko!” Damasing exclaimed as he cited a law that prohibits the hospital practice of requiring downpayments or deposits from patients or their families in emergency cases.
“Ang bala-od nag-ingon nga ang emergency cases dili pangayo-an og deposit kay emergency gud na—gatinga na kanang tawo, mao na nga wala na kanang deposit,” said Damasing.
He said hospital owners can be sued if they continued imposing the downpayment policy on patients.
He cited RA 8344 that was approved by the 10th Congress on Aug. 25, 1997. It provides: “In emergency or serious cases, it shall be unlawful for any proprietor, president, director, manager or any other officer, and/or medical practitioner or employee of a hospital or medical clinic to request, solicit, demand or accept any deposit or any other form of advance payment as a prerequisite for confinement or medical treatment of a patient in such hospital or medical clinic or to refuse to administer medical treatment, and support as dictated by good practice of medicine to prevent death or permanent disability.”
Damasing said violators could be imprisoned for six months and one day up two years and four months, and fined from P20 thousand to P100 thousand.
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