Senator wants NBP doctor stripped of license over hospital pass issue

New Bilibid Prison Hospital Medical Officer Ursicio Cenas should be stripped of his medical license for allowing extended hospital stay of drug lords who supposedly bribed their way to avail of the hospital pass privilege.

Senator Risa Hontiveros made the call because inmate and former Valencia City, Bukidnon Mayor Jose Galario Jr., and drug trafficker Yu Yuk Lai were allowed extended stay in NBP hospital—the latter stayed for 10 months—under Cenas’ watch.

Hontiveros pointed out that Cenas’ actions should not be treated with kid gloves, considering that less privileged inmates in other facilities are dying of treatable diseases partly due to congestion.

The senator noted that the Philippine prison system is the most congested in the world with a 605 percent rate –way beyond Haiti's 302 percent, and that in the jam-packed Quezon City Jail alone five inmates die of treatable diseases every month.

Also, she cited the case of a flesh eating bacteria that caused the death of an inmate in the Manila City Jail.

“Ganito po ang kalagayan ng ating mga preso, samantalang ang mga drug lord nagpapakasarap sa ospital. He (Cenas) should be stripped of his license to practice the medical profession because he is abusing the penal system and health system,” Hontiveros said.

“We [here in the Senate panel] should recommend that he be stripped of his license for dishonorable, unprofessional, unethical, immoral conduct. Inaagawan ng mga drug lords [ng lugar] ang mas karapat-dapat na pasyente.”

Senator Richard Gordon, Chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating the "hospital pass for sale scheme" in the national penitentiary, backed Hontiveros’ call.

“That [recommendation of him being stripped of license] is what we intend to do,” Gordon said.

Cenas earlier argued that there are many factors to be considered as to why inmates are not discharged immediately from hospital confinement,  such as lack of resources.

“Minsan po, kailangan ng lung biopsy [ng pasyente], ang problema po, scheduling…kung paano ilalabas ang pasyente. Minsan walang transportation, or kung may transportation, walang pang-gas,” Cenas said in a previous hearing.

Asked by Hontiveros if he agrees that he should be stripped of his medical license, Cenas said, of course, no.

Cenas, however, did not elaborate on his answer.

In an earlier hearing Cenas said he heard rumors about the “hospital pass for sale” scheme but admitted having no proof to back them up.

When pressed by Senator Christopher "Bong" Go if there were hospital personnel on the take in exchange of allowing an inmate to stay at the hospital, Cenas initially invoked his right against self-incrimination.

However, he eventually gave in to Go's prodding and said "yes" in admitting there were NBP hospital personnel who accepted money in exchange for a hospital pass. —LBG, GMA News