Chief Justice Renato Corona AP PHOTO/ERIK DE CASTRO, POOL
Chief Justice Renato Corona’s health should have priority over the need for him to reappear before the Senate, an official of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said Thursday.
Dr. Leo Olarte, PMA governor for Metro Manila, said the presence of troponin enzyme in Corona’s blood after his hypoglycemic attack was an emergency condition that needed immediate medical attention.
“The presence of troponic is a very reliable indication of heart attack, especially if the patient is suffering from other ailments, such as diabetes. If he were my patient, I would advise that he be not subject to further stress and anxiety,” Olarte told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview.
Olarte, who is also a practicing lawyer, said the public should not suspect that doctors connived with patients by falsifying medical findings in order for the latter to escape the legal processes.
“We doctors are always for truth, justice and transparency. Doctors are mandated by their oath to be truthful and to be honest. They can’t doctor [their diagnoses of] physical conditions and results of laboratory tests,” he said.