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Unethical and scandalous.
That’s how several doctors described the behavior of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC)doctors and nurses during the operation to remove a perfume canister from the anus of a male patient.Doctors involved in the operation were seen laughing boisterously during the operation, which wasrecorded on video. A video clip was later uploaded to the video sharing website YouTube.Dr. Emmanuel Gines, VSMMC media liaison officer and emergency room department head, said in a radiointerview that they will apologize to the 39-year-old patient identified only as Jan-Jan because of theembarrassment he suffered.Gines said at least six doctors, including Dr. Ariel Arias, are being investigated. He could not say how manynurses were placed under investigation.A five-member body tasked to look into the controversy is expected to release its findings this Friday.Gines, a surgeon, said that taking a video and laughing at a patient while he is being operated on isinappropriate.“On the question of the behavior of the doctors and nurses, it was really improper,” he said.He said their investigation began even before the scandal came out in the media because the hospitalleadership is concerned about the incident. He urged the media to just wait for the committee’s report.While admitting that the incident placed VSMMC in a bad light, Gines assured the public that whathappened to “Jan-Jan” was an isolated case that will not occur again.“We have enforced and strengthened our (privacy) policy as far as the operating room and anywhere of the sections in the hospitals after this incident, especially the banning of cellular phones with or withoutcameras,” he said.In a separate interview, Basak Pardo Barangay Captain Dave Tumulak said Jan-Jan is bent on filing acomplaint and has already executed an affidavit against the doctors and nurses, some of whom wereshown in the video. Jan-Jan will also complain before the Department of Health (DOH), the Professional RegulationsCommission, and the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas.Dr. Wyben Briones, a neuro-surgeon for 30 years connected with VSMMC and hospitals like Chong Hua andVelez, said doctors are bound by their profession to respect the patient’s privacy.In a TV Patrol World report, he said medical practitioners must respect the privacy of the patient at alltimes.“For us, that (privacy) is sacred. No doctor or nurse shall announce that somebody is suffering from anillness or that somebody is positive of Aids (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome),” Briones said.Briones, who is also an Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (Eruf) member, said it is really objectionable forsomebody to take videos of an operation and upload it to YouTube for all the world to see.What is acceptable, he said, is for a doctor operating on a patient to allow young doctors and nurses towitness, as long as the aim is to educate them further.“Di ta ma-doctor kon wa pa ta tudlo-i or wa pa ta mo-agig (we could not be doctors if we do not gothrough) training. And the Sotto hospital (VSMMC) is a teaching hospital. But what happened here is aviolation of ethical standards,” he added.
Briones said non-resident doctors and nurses who are not on field duty are not even allowed to witness anoperation.In his case, he said, he only allows neuro-surgeons to witness him treating his patients if it concerns theirprofession.As of press time last night (Tuesday night), Tumulak, Jan-Jan and his lawyer were still having a conferenceto come up with an airtight complaint. Tumulak said they will also include Dr. Gerardo Aquino Jr, VSMMC chief medical officer, who was in Manilaattending to an official business when the operation happened. Tumulak said Jan-Jan is demanding for the hospital to furnish him the official records of the January 3operation for easy identification of all doctors and nurses involved.Dr. Susana Madarieta, DOH Central Visayas director, said they will review the result of the VSMMCinvestigation to ensure that there is no whitewash.
April 17, 2008
CEBU CITY -- A video posted on YouTube showing doctors laughing while removing anobject from a patient's rectum may lead to charges against the surgeons and cost themtheir medical licenses, officials said Wednesday.And even after the apology by Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) officials,the patient is still considering filing a civil suit for damages against the medical team.He said he will file the case unless VSMMC imposes sanctions on the doctors and nursesand he is satisfied with the penalties.If he is not satisfied with VSMMC's action on the medical team, there will be a "legalbattle," said his lawyer Guiller Ceniza.In other developments of the case:* The president of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said if doctors are foundviolating medical ethics, they could be expelled from the association.* The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has launched a fact-finding investigation on theincident to determine the liability of VSMMC officials, doctors, and nurses.* VSMMC has scheduled a press conference on Friday to announce the result of their investigation. The hospital is also set to discuss recommendations on how to prevent asimilar incident as well as reveal the list of doctors and nurses involved in the operation.* A nursing student suspected to have posted the video on YouTube was not able tograduate because of a pending investigation on the incident by the school.
The unauthorized 2:54-minute video of a noisy operating room shows VSMMC doctors andnurses laughing, giggling and cheering.At one point, a hand appears with a cell phone camera taking a close-up picture of thesurgery. As a doctor gingerly pulls out the six-inch long canister from the male patient'srectum, someone shouts, "Baby out!" amid loud cheers.The doctor then removes the canister cap and sprays the contents toward the crowd of nurses and doctors viewing the procedure.It remains unclear who shot the video and who posted it on YouTube, but the person whoposted it removed it from the website Wednesday.Sun.Star Cebu was told by an informant that the video was uploaded by a nursing student.Basak-Pardo Barangay Captain Dave Tumulak, who helped the patient raise the complaint,said he also got the same information from his sources.Tumulak said the student was not able to graduate because of a pending investigation bythe school on the incident.Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7 Director Enrique Grecia will look into thematter when he comes back to Cebu on Monday from an official trip to Bohol."The behavior shown in the video is not acceptable. It is not within the realm of humanreason. I will check the school once it is identified, get its side and the student's sidebefore we give sanctions," he said.Tumulak said several VSMMC doctors called him up for help in requesting hospitalmanagement to name the persons involved in the case so that those not involved will notbe dragged into the case.Dr. Jose Sabili, president of the PMA, on Wednesday said the group will conduct aninvestigation if a formal complaint is filed and doctors found violating medical ethicscould be suspended or expelled from the association, which would result in thesuspension or termination of their state health insurance accreditation.The results of the investigation could also be used by the Professional RegulationCommission (PRC) to suspend or revoke their licenses, Sabili said."I believe what they did was very blatant," he said.Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla said the Health Department will conduct aseparate investigation.The president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City chapter has alsocondemned the incident. Lawyer Briccio Boholst wants the incident investigated andthose responsible sanctioned.Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Santiago said their fact-finding investigation will not bebound by the hospital investigation report. Nevertheless, she wants a copy of their findings.She did not comment when asked if the apology by hospital management constituted anadmission of fault.
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