Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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* FIRST DIVISION.
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VOL. 821, MARCH 22, 2017 259
Our Lad of Lourdes Hospital vs. Capan ana
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(SC) nds that b the ver nature of a hospital, the proper supervision
of the attendance of its nurses, who are its frontline health professionals, is
crucial considering that patients conditions can change drasticall in a
matter of minutes. The e i n f f ac al e i i n f he
em l ee k ac al im lemen a i n and m ni ing f c n i en
c m liance i h he le . The e im n f e i i ne A i an N ing
Se ice Di ec , L de H. Nic la i belied b he ac al ec d f
e i i ne . The e h ha N e Da id and Pad lina had been b e ed
be la ec me and ab en ee ; e he e e ne e anc i ned b h e
edl e i ing hem. While he e i n f diligen e ii n
de end n he ci c m ance f em l men , e nd ha b he e
na e f a h i al, he e e i i n f he a endance f i n e ,
h a e i f n line heal h fe i nal , i c cial c n ide ing ha
a ien c ndi i n can change d a icall in a ma e f min e .
Pe i i ne Em l ee Handb k ec gni ed e ac l hi a i dec eed he
e ced e in a ailing f na idable ab ence and he c mmen a e
enal ie f e bal e imand, i en a ning, en i n f m k, and
di mi al in in ance f ne c ed ab ence a dine . Pe i i ne fail e
anc i n he a dine f he defendan n e h an e lack f
ac al im lemen a i n and m ni ing f c m liance i h he le and
l ima el f e ii n e i n e.
SERENO, CJ.:
We e l e he in an Pe i i n f Re ie n Certiorari1
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1 Rollo, . 127-205.
263
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264
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7 Id.
8 Id.
9 Rec d (V l. I), . 22-29; da ed 24 Feb a 1998 and d cke ed a Ci il Ca e
N . MC-98-149.
10 Rollo, . 838-839.
265
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11 Id.
12 Id., a . 293, 839.
13 Rec d (V l. I), . 88-93 (f D . Ram ), . 131-143 (f D . San ), and
. 156-166 (f e i i ne h i al).
14 Rec d (V l. VI), . 1624-1634.
15 Rollo, . 839-840.
266
lm na a e k lace 14 h af e he e a i n, l ng af e
he had e f med he e a i n. She a ed ha j dgmen be
ende ed de ing e Ca an ana a he m al damage
am n ing P500,000; e em la damage , P200,000; and
16
a ne fee , P100,000.
On he he hand, defendan D . San claimed ha he a he
ane he i l gi in Regina and ec nd childbi h via C-
ec i n. The d c f he a ed ha i he hi d eme genc
C- ec i n, he c nd c ed a e e a i e e al a i n, and Regina
h ed n ign m m f an hea blem abn mali in
he la e ca di a c la , e i a , cen al ne em .
She hen admini e ed he ane he ia Regina. She al a ed ha
Regina c ndi i n bef e, d ing, and af e he e a i n a able.
D . San a ed ha he c m lain again he be di mi ed.17
T ial en ed. Plain iff e en ed D . E in Di n, a ca di l gi ;
D . G df e R beni l, a ne l gi ; M . Eli abe h Ta ag; D .
Ele n L e , a ca di l gi ; Ka hleen L ce Balad; R me
Ca an ana; and D . A nci n Rane e , a h ician.18
Af e he lain iff e ed hei ca e, an amended c m lain a
led, hi ime iden if ing and im leading a defendan he n e
n d h incl ded C a ina Ocam , H.R. B la e e, E el n S.
Da id, and Angelica C nce ci n.19 Af e c nd c ing a de i i n f
he e n in cha ge f he n e ched le, e Ca an ana
f he amended hei c m lain im lead n e R chelle
Pad lina and Fl i a Ballan , hile d ing defendan C a ina
Ocam , H.R. B la e e, and Angelica C nce ci n.20
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18 Id., a . 842.
17 Id., a . 840.
16 Id., a . 840-841.
19 Rec d (V l. III), . 811-819.
20 Id. (V l. V), . 1508-1516.
267
The R li g f he RTC
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21 Rollo, . 847-851.
22 Id., a . 838.
23 Id., a . 852-856.
24 Id., a . 859.
26
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25 Id., a . 856-857.
26 Id., a . 857-858.
26
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27 Id., a . 860-861.
270
The R li g f he CA
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28 CA Rollo, . 44.
29 Rollo, . 945-1017.
30 CA Rollo, . 45-46.
31 Rollo, . 889.
32 Id., a . 757-767. A M i n f Lea e da ed 20 Decembe 2004 a led b
e i i ne h i al ake he de i i n f a i ne , n e- n-d defendan E el n
Da id, b he M i n a denied b he ial c in an O de da ed 12 A il 2005.
271
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33 Id., a . 22-25.
34 Id., a . 25.
272
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35 Id., a . 26-27.
36 Id., a . 34-35.
273
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37 Id., a . 35-39.
38 Id., a . 39.
39 Id., a . 243-283.
40 Id., a . 241-242.
41 Id., a . 153-154.
274
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42 Id., a . 203.
43 Id., a . 1461-1526.
44 Id., a . 1463-1525.
45 Id., a . 1525.
46 Id., a . 1544-1575.
275
O R li g
We nd he e i i n a iall me i i .
We ei e a e he elemen a le ha nl e i n f la a e
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en e ained in a R le 45 e i i n. Finding f fac f he l e
c a e gene all c ncl i e and binding n hi C h e
f nc i n i n anal e eigh he e idence all e again.
While he e a e e ce i nal ca e in hich hi C ma e ie
nding f fac f he CA, n ne f he e e ce i n i e en in he
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ca e a ba . We ee n c m elling ea n de ia e f m hi
gene al le n . We he ef e defe he e inen fac al nding
f he l e c , e eciall beca e he e a e ell- ed b
he ec d . I i in hi ligh ha e af m he nding f b h he
ial and he a ella e c hich f nd negligence n he a f
he n e .
In de cce f ll e a claim in a medical negligence
ca e, he lain iff m e ha a heal h fe i nal ei he failed
d me hing hich a ea nabl den heal h fe i nal
ld ha e ha e n d ne; and ha he ac i n mi i n ca ed
inj he a ien . P ceeding f m hi g ideline, he lain iff
m h he f ll ing elemen b a e nde ance f e idence:
d f he heal h fe i nal, b each f ha d , inj f he
a ien , and ima e ca a i n be een he b each and he
inj .49
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276
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50 Casumpang v. Cortejo, 752 Phil. 379; 752 SCRA 379 (2015); Solidum v.
People, id.; Li v. Soliman, 66 Phil. 29; 651 SCRA 32 (2011).
51 Rollo, . 999.
52 Id., a . 159.
53 Id., a . 856-857.
54 Hospital Management Services, Inc.-Medical Center Manila v. Hospital
Management Services, Inc.-Medical Center Manila Emplo ees Association-AFW, 656
Phil. 57; 641 SCRA 59 (2011).
277
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27
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The a ella e c al c ec l n ed ha e en he i ne f
e i i ne , e iden h ician D . G ace de l Angele , n iced ha
i k me ime bef e he gen a i ed a h n in he
e im n :
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Q: A n e made an ea lie de al ?
A: Ye , i .
A [Balad]: Wh i i ha he de ei nl n , h did n a kf
a i-
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2 2
Q [A . Di kn ]: W ld ecall ha e e he d ha ee
ed b a n in elling ab he de e?
A [Balad]: Acc ding he call [ he] n e a he n e a i n f he
em e he de e f m m hand, i .
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2 3
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61 Id., a . 22-26.
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Th , a fail e ac ma be he ima e ca e if i la a
b an ial a in b inging ab an inj . N e al ha he
mi i n e f mad ma al c n i e he i-
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62 Rollo, . 856-857.
63 Ramos v. Court of Appeals, 378 Phil. 1198; 321 SCRA 584 (1999).
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VOL. 821, MARCH 22, 2017 285
Our Lad of Lourdes Hospital vs. Capan ana
ma e ca e f an inj , b nl he e he mi i n ld ha e
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e en ed he inj . The C al em ha i e ha he inj
need nl be a ea nabl bable c n e ence f he fail e ac .
In he d , he e i n need f ab l e ce ain ha he inj
i a c n e ence f he mi i n.65
A l ing he ab e de ni i n he fac in he e en ca e, he
mi i n f he n e hei fail e check n Regina and
efe he he e iden d c and, he eaf e , immedia el
ide gen a clea l he ima e ca e ha led he
b ain damage ffe ed b he a ien . A he ial c and he CA
b h held, had he n e m l e nded, gen ld ha e
been immedia el admini e ed he and he i k f b ain damage
le ened, if n a ided.
F he negligence f i n e , e i i ne i h liable nde
A icle 218066 in ela i n A icle 217667 f he Ci il
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A e i ed b M . L de Nic la , he a i an n ing di ec , he
ce f elec i n and hi ing f hei n e a a ig ce
he eb he a lican nde g e ie f e amina i n, ien a i n, aining,
n- he-j b b e a i n and e al a i n bef e he a e hi ed a eg la
em l ee . The n e a e e i ed b hei head n e and he cha ge
n e and in ec ed b hei clinical e i and n ing di ec . Ba ed
f m hi
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71 Valen uela v. Court of Appeals, 323 Phil. 374; 253 SCRA 303 (1996).
72 Rollo, . 37.
73 Metro Manila Transit Corp. v. Court of Appeals, supra n e 70.
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74 Rollo, . 857.
75 Ple to v. Lombo , 476 Phil. 373; 432 SCRA 329 (2004). See al Metro
Manila Transit Corp. v. Court of Appeals, supra n e 70.
76 The Te mina ing Em l ee A ai al igned b he n ing e i , Si e
Vicencia, and n ed b Si e E ella h ed defendan Da id a an cca i nal
la ec me and ab en ee and a di h ne and in ince e (Rec d [V l. VII], . 2024)
hile he Te mina ing Em l ee A ai al igned b he e i , Si e Hi ene,
h ed defendan Pad lina a a habi al la ec me and ab en ee (Rec d [V l. VII],
. 2045).
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77 Supra n e 71.
78 Rec d (V l. VII), . 2022.
79 Rollo, . 646.
80 In a Manife a i n da ed 15 Ma 2001, e i i ne a ed ha Bailan a a
mid ife and n a n e. (Rec d [V l. VI], . 1521-1522). In he An e ih
C m l C n e claim da ed 11 Se embe
2 0
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2 1
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2 2
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89 Rollo, . 769.
90 Id., a . 768.
91 Id., a . 768-769.
92 Id., a . 769.
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m an a c m le el fa l le ; in he e en ca e, e i i ne
failed n nl be e en a he ched led hea ing f he
bmi i n f i - eb al e idence, b al h g d fai h
in i e e .
Fourth, he m an in H att a clea l ej diced b he denial
f i e e , hich i had m l made bef e e ial. The ame
cann be aid in he e en ca e beca e e i i ne led he m i n
ake de i i n i ea af e ial had a ed. In fac , e i i ne
a c n den en gh ag ee a deadline f he bmi i n f i
- eb al e idence, a deadline ha had l ng a ed hen i led a
M i n f Lea e. Pe i i ne i , he ef e, e ed f m claiming
ha i a e e ej diced.
All in all, e i i ne a g men ega ding he ial c denial
f e i i ne M i n f Lea e ake he de i i n fail
im e .
Thi n i h anding, e nd me i in an he a g men
cce i el ai ed b e i i ne bef e he C f A eal and
bef e hi C i h e ec he n aid h i al bill f
e nden an i e n add e ed again b he CA in he
a ailed ling. The n aid h i al bill a e i i ne h i al
am n ed P20,141.60 a f 30 Oc be 1998.93 Thi fac a
nc n e ed b e nden . Since he am n f ac al damage
a li ed b e nden in hei c m lain a al ead incl i e f
he h i al bill inc ed a e i i ne h i al and a Ca dinal
San H i al, e deem i e ded c he n aid h i al bill
f m he ac al damage dec eed b he l e c and af med b
he a ella e c . H e e , e addi i nall im e he a men f
in e e n he e l ing am n c nf m i h e ailing
94
j i dence.
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93 Id., a . 922.
94 Nacar v. Galler Frames, G.R. N . 189871, A g 13, 2013, 703 SCRA 439,
456-459.
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C gh 2020 Ce a B S , I c. A gh e e ed.