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Resolution Timbuktu
Resolution Timbuktu
Department of Health
Regional Office II
Carig Norte, Tuguegarao City
Telephone Number: 304-6585, 304-8737, 846-7261 & 8467230
e-mail address: chdcvdoh@yahoo.com/dohregionaloffice2@gmail.com
TeleFax no. 304-6523
RESOLUTION
This resolves the complaint filed against Dr. Rowel S. Matila, Dr. Jerry
Sagabaen and Ms. Ivory L. Callueng of Timbuktu Institute of Behavioral Medicine
for the alleged illegal detention committed against the person of Ms. Damsel Katrina
A. Jose for failure to fully settle the hospital bills for her confinement at the
aforementioned facility.
Mr. Genaro L. Jose in his letter complaint dated 5 January 2017 informed this
Office that the Cagayan Institute of Behavioral Medicine (CIBM) refused to
discharge his daughter, who was diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder. His
daughter was brought to Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) for check-up on
November 17, 2016. Dr. Jerry Sagabaen, the attending physician, advised them to
confine their daughter at CIBM and agreed that his daughter will stay there for one
to two weeks and was further informed among others of the charges to be imposed
by the facility particularly: Php 800 for food and accommodation, Php 300.00 for
medicine and Php 170.00 for his professional fee. Not until 29 December 2017 when
one of the personnel of the facility sent a text message, nobody informed him that his
daughter is already for discharge when in fact they visited his daughter on 22
December 2016.
Upon receipt and initial evaluation of the complaint, a letter dated 5 January
2017 was sent to Dr. Rowel S. Matila, owner of Cagayan Institute of Behavioral
Medicine, requesting for a written explanation or comment on the allegations made
against the said health facility. On the same date, the complaint was also endorsed
by this Office to Mr. Rodrigo F. Balaqui Jr., Regional Director of the Professional
Regulation Commission, Regional Office II, for his information and appropriate
action on the said complaint.
On the other hand, Dr. Rowel Matila in his letter dated 16 January 2017,
contends that Damsel Katrina Jose was admitted at CIBM on 17 November 2016, a
decision which came from the father after she had her check-up at CVMC psychiatry
ward and contrary to the complainant’s claim that he was advised to be admitted
directly to the CIBM.
As regards the claim of the complainant that he and his daughter’s attending
physician agreed that the patient will be admitted in the facility for a period of one
to two weeks only, Dr. Matila asserts that the complainant did not visit or call the
facility to ask for the condition of their daughter and had not updated their bill. In
fact, on the first month of stay of the patient in the facility without any visit or call
from the father, the staff of the facility called up the former to inquire on his plan. He
said that he is in Tagaytay and will visit his daughter soon. On 22 December 2016,
the complainant visited his daughter and asked for a medical certificate and
statement of account which they used to seek financial assistance from PCSO.
A perusal of the facts presented in this case as well as the result of the
investigation conducted, it was ascertained that the primordial issue at hand is the
failure of the facility to discharge the patient due to the failure of his father, who is
the complainant in this case to pay medical expenses incurred while the former was
confined at the facility for about two months.
On the other note, while this case is pending investigation, the complainant
informed this Office in his letter dated 6 January 2017 that an amicable settlement
had been reached between him and the Medical Director of Cagayan Institute of
Behavioral Medicine, Dr. Jenalyn T. Matilla.
After the evaluation of the facts and circumstances present in this case, the
complaint against Dr. Rowel S. Matila, Dr. Jerry Sagabaen and Ms. Ivory L. Callueng
of Cagayan Institute of Behavioral Medicine is hereby dismissed for utter lack of
merit. It is respectfully recommended that the personnel as well as the physicians in
the said facility should observe the guidelines set forth by Administrative Order No.
2008-0001, to wit:
Respectfully submitted.