DOH to probe Butuan hospital that allegedly turned away critically-ill child

The Department of Health (DOH) would be conducting an investigation on Butuan Doctors Hospital following accusations that it turned away a 10-year-old girl because her family did not have enough money to pay for deposit.

 

A report on GMA News' Saksi aired Wednesday night said the investigation comes in light with the complaint from the parents of the patient, who passed away while they were looking for another hospital where she could be admitted.

 

The child's mother, Tutz Salarda-Chan, took their sentiments to Facebook in a post last August 10, saying they "needed to transfer" her daughter, Jannary, to the Butuan Doctors' Hospital "due to her emergency situation and critical condition."

 

Jannary had congenital heart disease and was later diagnosed with diabetes and kidney problem. She passed away July 16 due to congestive heart failure.

 

Tutz said they were "rejected" because her cash-on hand was around P8,000 to P10,000 and they needed to pay P30,000 for deposit since the child needed to be admitted to the intensive care unit.

 

"Per our preliminary interviews with staff in our admissions office, they have denied that," Purita Escobar, director of nursing at Butuan Doctors' Hospital, said in a statement aired on the same Saksi report.

 

Hospital officials have earlier denied a deposit-first policy in line with the incident, saying that according to the staff, the mother was not able to produce a referral from San Francisco Doctors' Hospital, where Jannary was first admitted. 

 

Jannary was noted to be stable and it was recommended that she be admitted for further examinations.

The mother, however, chose to leave in her own discretion, according to Escobar. "Upon finding out the projected costs of treatment in our facility, the family decided to bring Yanna back to San Francisco Doctors’ Hospital." 

 

The hospital is conducting its own investigation on the incident, and appealed for the public's understanding. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ, GMA News