Taytay hospital staff under probe after patient gasping for air allegedly denied oxygen

A 54-year-old mother who was having difficulty breathing died days after a hospital in Taytay, Rizal reportedly refused to give her oxygen.

According to Dano Tingcungco's report on "24 Oras", Josefina Rosento was even seen on video begging for oxygen while she gasped for air.

She was rushed to the Taytay Emergency Hospital on Saturday after experiencing difficulty in breathing due to the pain killers she took for her myoma.

“Parang awa niyo na, mamamatay na ako,” Rosente said in the video.

Rosente’s daughter Maira Mapalad they were even the ones who put their mother on a stretcher when they arrived at the hospital.

“First aid lang sana yung hinihingi namin pero ‘di nila mabigay,” Mapalad added.

On Monday, Rosente was transferred to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.

Mapalad said Rosente’s oxygen level went back to normal on Monday morning but passed away in the afternoon.

Taytay municipal health officer and Taytay Emergency Hospital director Dr. Jeffrey Roxas said the incident was being investigated.

Roxas said the video was not complete. The part where the doctor checked Rosente and got her vital signs was not included, he said.

Based on the initial investigation, Roxas also said the hospital did not turn away the patient and instead recommended them to bring her to a tertiary hospital.

“Ang ospital namin, ang category ng ospital namin ay infirmary lamang. Ten-bed capacity lang po kami. Hindi po kami authorized to handle cases na medyo komplikado kasi mas lalong malalagay ‘yong pasyente sa alanganin,” Roxas said.

“Base po kasi doon sa assessment noong mga healthcare worker na naka-duty noong oras na ‘yon, hindi lang oxygen ang kailangan. Ang kailangan, further assessment and further intervention, hindi lang oxygen,” he added.

Roxas also clarified the hospital did not deny the patient oxygen.

“Ang ipapagamit na dapat po natin ‘yong ambulansya ng ospital dahil ang ambulansya namin may oxygen and at the same time, itatakbo namin siya sa mas malaking ospital para mabigyan siya ng definitive management kasi kung ang hinihingi lang ng pasyente ay oxygen tapos ililipat ng ospital, kaya po naming gawin ‘yon sa pamamagitan ng ambulansya tapos may oxygen din po kami. Kaya lang umalis kaagad ‘yong pasyente kasama po ‘yong bantay,” Roxas said. -Ma. Angelica Garcia/NB, GMA News