Minglanilla hospital docs to be probed
Physician on duty allegedly declares Naga shooting victim died of a heart attack
The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) will investigate a report involving an alleged medical malpractice committed by an attending physician in the Minglanilla District Hospital.
Dr. Cristina Gianggo, IPHO chief, said he ordered an investigation after receiving the April 5, 2013 report of Minglanilla hospital head, Dr. Clina Seguerra, which stated the cause of death of patient Endredia Alfar, 46, of West Poblacion, Naga City, Cebu as cardiogenic shock probably secondary to acute myocardial infarction or a heart attack.
But at the funeral parlor, the embalmer informed the brother of the Alfar, that Endredia’s body had several holes believed to be gunshot wounds.
Gianggo said she wasn’t satisfied with the report and was sending somebody to investigate about the incident.
“The doctor could just have overlooked to check the patient because there were no bloodstains on the linen covering the patient when she was brought to the emergency room,” Gianggo said in Cebuano.
Article continues after this advertisement“The problem was that the doctor could have relied on the victim’s son’s comments that his mother suffered a heart attack,” she said.
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Endredia’s brother said he was considering filing a case against the physician on duty and Dr. Esguerra, the hospital chief, for gross negligence.
The brother said he just learned that the Police autopsy result on his sister showed that she had three gunshot wounds from a “pogakhang,” an improvised shotgun.
Dr. Nestor Satur, chief of the medico-legal officer of the PNP-7 Regional Crime Laboratory, performed the autopsy on Endredia.
Francisco Alfar, Endredia’s husband, was later arrested by the Naga Police. Francisco was the suspect in the death of Endredia and a parricide case was being readied against the suspect.
The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) also advised the victim’s relatives to file a complaint and address it to the Regional Director for possible action since the Minglanilla District Hospital was under the DOH 7.
CDN called the office of Dr. Esguerra to get her reaction on the accusation and investigation but she was not at her office as she was doing the rounds checking on the patients.
However, in an Bombo Radyo interview, Esguerra said that she was advised by her superior not to say anything or comment on the issues without the office’s permission./Correspondent REnan Alangilan
