They just lie there, and they die there: Ill-treatment at JB-Hell

WHAT HATH fashion maven Mich Viray wrought! No, not in the sosyal realm of haute couture but in the arena of social media justice.

Taking the cudgel for her Casa Moda staff Ruby Ann Lazaro, Mich wrote a complaint letter to Dr. Monserrat Chichioco, medical center chief of the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH), over alleged medical negligence arising from misdiagnosis performed on Lazaro.

In her letter dated Oct. 30, Mich accused the attending medical team led by resident physician Dr. Leonil Anthony Bais Arante of overlooking multiple pelvic fractures sustained by Lazaro in a vehicular accident along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Baliti, City of San Fernando on Oct. 21.

While Lazaro underwent X-rays, ultrasound, and CT scans at JBLMGH, she was discharged two days later with a diagnosis of contusion despite persistent complaints of severe hip pain and immobility. A later review of her X-ray reportedly revealed complete displaced fractures in both superior and inferior pubic rami – findings that were not disclosed during her confinement.

Lazaro later sought a second opinion at Makabali Hospital, where an orthopedic surgeon confirmed the fractures and recommended pelvic surgery to install a metal plate.

“This serious oversight placed Ms. Lazaro’s health and recovery at significant risk,” Mich wrote, adding that the delayed diagnosis caused unnecessary pain and could have led to long-term complications.

She ended her letter with a call for internal investigation, a written explanation from the doctors concerned, and a review of the hospital’s diagnostic and discharge protocols to prevent the recurrence of similar cases.

In letter reply dated Nov. 4, Chichioco expressed apologies for the incident, said she had directed “my team” to initiate an “impartial and comprehensive investigation,” and assured “appropriate action will be taken based on the findings.”

Alas, Chichioco could have just told it to the marines!

“Kung sila lang naman mag-imbestiga sa sarili nila, alam mo na ang resulta:  ginawa nila ang trabaho nila at wala silang pagkukulang,” a netizen’s comment readily damning Chichioco probing her own ilk.

Wrath unleashed

Published in the social media platforms and online publications of members of the Central Luzon Media Association-Pampanga Chapter, Mich’s letter did not just open a can of worms but virtually unleashed the floodgates of wrath of victims of maltreatment, both physical and emotional, and mistreatment, both medical and fatal. A sampling from the hundreds of comments, verified as coming from real people (edited to formal writing):

“Marami nang buhay ang nawala dahil sa kapabayaan nila. Kaya ka nga pumunta sa JBL para magpagamot at gumaling hindi pra lumala at mamatay. Ganyan sila diyan parang hindi tao ang turing sa mga pasyente … Ayusin nila dapat ang JBL – ospital ‘yan, hindi po funeraria…

Hindi ka mabubuhay sa ospital na yan mapapadali ang buhay mo. Sa ospital na ‘yan, auntie ko namatay lang din. Nagalit pa doctor nung nagsumbong ako…

Yun pong bayaw ko namatay din diyan, marami po namamatay diyan parang may something…

Mama ko po namatay diyan nung Sept. 24. Gising pa ng Sept. 23, tinubuan (intubated?) siya tapos bigla tumawag sa amin ang ICU ng JBL: Patay na daw mama ko. Sobrang sakit po sa amin…

Katulad ng papa ko wala man lang paliwanag kung ano ikinamatay…

Kung susumain yung pagkamatay ng anak ko kapabayan talaga nila. Nagwawala ang bata dahil sa sakit at uhaw na nararandaman niya, tapos namamaga na siya, tumatawag ako ng doctor at nurse ni wala mang lumalapit isa man sa kanila. Nang sumigaw ako na ‘di ko na marandaman ang pulso ng anak ko, dun pa lang lumapit. Ano pa silbi nila? Wala na…

Minsan sila pa ang papatay sa ‘yo. Katulad na lang ng biyenan ng pinsan ko: cause of death is katandaan, eh 65 years old pa lang siya. Grabe…

Diyan po namatay ang kapatid ko, sa kapabayaan nila…

‘Yung hipag ko ang tagal sa ER (24 hrs) nakaupo lang, hirap na hirap siya bago nalapatan ng lunas; lumala pa ang kalagayan. Kapiling na siya ng Diyos ngayon…

Imbes na surgery gawin, hinayaan sa ER ng three days na nakaupo – nakaupo habang kina-catheter, naghihingalo ng nakaupo, dina-dialysis ng nakaupo. Binayaran lang namin yung nagbigay ng bed kaya after three days, nakahiga rin ang aking mama. Pero wala na. Namumutla na ang mama ko, panay turok pa kayo. Pinatay niyo mama ko…

When my lolo died there last year, nagtuturuan pa mga nurses sino magre-revive, tapos doctor ‘kala mo ‘di emergency slow motion walking. So heartbreaking!... 

Kapag nagdala ka diyan ng pasyente sigurado mamamatay. Yung kapatid ko dinala namin diyan: naglalakad nung pumasok, nung lumabas patay na…

Ganyan din po nangyari sa anak ko last April lang po, accident din po na open pelvic naman po case niya, sabi nila direct operation siya. Hanggang umabot ng two days, tuwing lalapitan at magtatanong ako sa kanila sinasabi nila na siya na yung susunod hanggang sa nawala na anak ko, hindi man nila naoperahan. Sana man lang sinabihan nila kami na hindi nila kaya kesa sa binigyan pa kami ng assurance na siya na ang susunod na operahan, dahil sa kapabayan nila nawala ang anak ko.”

THAT SAD, sorry state of medical services at JBLMGH effectively reduced it to that euphemism of a “Mona Lisa” hospital – not so much for Da Vinci’s masterpiece as for the lines in the song it inspired, to wit: They just lie there, and they die there... not so much for the dreams laid on La Gioconda’s doorsteps, but for the patients taken at what is now called – oh, so aptly – JB-Hell.

Plea for understanding

To be fair, there is at least one netizen cautioning against outright judgment:

“JBL po ay Isang pampublikong hospital at minsan talagang nangyayari ang mga bagay na yan sa dami ng pasyenteng pumasok. Subalit hindi po ito dahilan para hindi gawin lahat ng pagsusuri para matukoy ang talagang sakit ng pasyente.

Ito po ay issue ng protocol ng isang hospital na kung kulang sa kagamitan ay marapat na ipasuri sa mga may ganoong kagamitan Hindi po natin matukoy talaga kung bakit hindi nakita ng doktor na sumuri ang sakit, maaaring kulang sa gamit o protocol ng ospital o pagpapabaya pero huwag po natin siyang husgahan hanggat hindi ito natutukoy.”

So overwhelming though the torrent of grief, the onrush of rage suppressed for long in resignation that that complaint letter of, of all people, a haute couturier so socially distant and economically separate from the folk availing themselves of JBL services, that Chichioco’s probe will fall flat on its face before it can even stand.

“Deka-dekada na ang mga reklamo sa mga doctor at pamunuhan sa JBL. Huwag na po tayung umasa na may magbabago sa hospital na ito. Bulok na sistema ng hospital, ipasa-diyos nalang natin ang lahat. Kung may pera o wala man, pilitan niyung magpatingin sa ibang hospital kesa sa umasa sa JBL,” as one netizen articulated the long-drawn frustration of most.

Despite everything, a glimmer of hope though for another netizen:

“Balada po kasi utang tamu lub karela ing maka libre. Anya nung i-tratu dakatamu makalunus tamu. Tutu napu nyan, misan ala namu choice anya mumunta la ken deng tao. Pero eta pu migaganaka pag akapali de pu buntuk y Gov. Nanay Lilia Pineda, sigurado sabunan nano naman den, itang alang banlawan. Ena kunsintian ing anti ‘yan.”