NBI, Capitol probe death of boy in Tuburan hospital

The National Bureau of Investigation will investigate the death of a 4-year-old boy, an apparent near-drowning victim, who was brought to the Tuburan District Hospital.

Gov. Hilario Davide III also directed the Integrated Provincial Health Office to look into the case, after the boy’s parents complained that the child was not given prompt medical attention at the Tuburan District Hospital.

The parents of Christian Lidres met with NBI-7 Regional Director Antonio Pagatpat yesterday to request for an investigation.

Pagatpat said Tuburan Mayor Democrito Diamante also talked to him over the phone requesting the NBI-7 to step in.

A family beach outing in sitio Timbakol, barangay Putat in Tuburan ended in tragedy when the boy nearly drowned at around 11:30 a.m. last Sunday.

The boy was brought to the Tuburan District Hospital at around noon but later died about 4 p.m.

The Lidres family claimed that the physician, Dr. Jatuporn Vatanagul, didn’t attend to the boy promptly.

Lidres’ uncle Titing Aguilar said they were told that Vatanagul was sleeping and would report for duty at 2 p.m.

Aguilar, in a radio dyHP interview, said they wanted to bring the boy to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City but were not given a referral by the district hospital.

When the doctor arrived at around 4 p.m. last Sunday, Aguilar said the boy already had difficulty breathing and died soon after.

Dr. Esteban Ligaray, the hospital’s chief, told GMA-7’s Balitang Bisdak, it was not true that Vatanagul was sleeping last Sunday afternoon.

Ligaray said Vatanagul was attending to a patient who was giving birth at the hospital.

He also denied the accusations that the boy was neglected in the district hospital.

Ligaray said the patient was given dextrose or intravenous fluids.

Governor Davide said he was upset by the case.

“Makapungot bitaw because it’s supposed to be a public hospital so I instructed Dr. (Cynthia) Genesolango to investigate and submit recommendations,” he told reporters.

He said he received reports that the hospital staff were just sitting around and not responding with urgency.

He said he will impose the appropriate disciplinary sanction if needed, based on results of the probe.

Improving health services in Cebu province, especially in district hospitals, is one of Davide’s main platforms of government.