Did Mandaue City hospital fatally give patient wrong medicine? Probes set

A hospital in Mandaue City in Cebu faces an investigation after one of its patients died, supposedly after being given the wrong medication.

Relatives of Jocelyn Coliflores claimed she may have died after being given the wrong medicines, GMA Cebu's Nikko Sereno and Alan Domingo reported.

Coliflores was brought to the Mandaue City Hospital last Jan. 2 for on-and-off fever and overall fatigue.

She was supposedly given anti-bacterial medicines and a sedative, but died 30 minutes later. Her death certificate showed she died from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm.

"Tinanong ng pinsan ko yung duktor kung bakit nagreseta ng gamot na wala pang laboratory test, napatingin lang daw yung duktor sa kanya," said the patient's cousin Marietta Booc.

Coliflores' husband Cesar arrived home from Saudi Arabia after learning of his wife's death.

"Ang hirap tanggapin na malakas pa ang asawa mo pero sa ganoon na lang biglang namatay," he said.

"Hustisya ang hinihingi ng asawa ko, makikita mo sa video," he added.

Meanwhile, the hospital's management has started an investigation into what happened. Two doctors and three nurses are being probed.

Also, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes ordered a probe.

"Mag-ga-gather tayo ng information kung ano talaga ang tunay na nangyari dahil hindi pwede na magko-comment tayo na hindi natin alam ang tunay na nangyari," he said.

Hospital: No neglect

But the hospital insisted it never neglected Coliflores.

"As of now, all I can tell you is there's no complaint and there's nothing to worry about because on our part, we did our best. We did the right thing on the patient," said Mandaue City Hospital chief Malou Espinoza.

For its part, the Department of Health Region 7 will come up with its own probe, after receiving an endorsement letter from the Commission on Human Rights regarding the case.

The DOH will form a fact-finding team to investigate the incident. It is asking the victim's husband to file a formal complaint with it.

According to the DOH, it is looking into possible medical malpractice by the hospital and medical personnel.

"Kung medical malpractice ipo-forward ito sa Philippine Medical Association and the specialties societies, kung ano ang tunay na nangyari, ire-refer ito sa specialty society and the PRC (Professional Regulations Commission)," DOH Central Visayas OIC Elizabeth Tabasa said. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News