GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The provincial government of Sarangani has launched an investigation into the alleged improper handling of patients by its personnel assigned at the municipal hospital in Malungon town.
Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon said Tuesday he specifically ordered the Provincial Health Office (PHO) to look into the reported cases of laxity and refusal by some hospital employees to take immediate action on the needs of their patients.
The Malungon municipal hospital is run by the provincial government through the PHO headed by Dr. Arvin Alejandro.
A resident, identified as Jezza Deposo, complained through social media that her sick daughter was not properly attended to by the hospital staff when they brought her to the facility earlier this month.
“I really felt so neglected and disappointed with the undesirable actuation of these medical workers,” Deposo was quoted in a report released by the Malungon Information Office.
In her Facebook post on Sept. 7, she said they were not properly attended to by a nurse and a midwife who were allegedly making her answer to some queries while they were “half-awake” and lying down under a table.
The post, which went viral, generated numerous negative comments and reports of the same treatment from Malungon residents that eventually reached the governor.
Acting on the report, Solon said he directed the provincial health officer, Dr. Alejandro, to take prompt action on the matter.
He said the involved personnel could be removed from service or face hefty sanctions if found guilty of the accusations.
“We should not tolerate such actions if proven,” Solon said.
Aside from the investigation, the governor said he ordered all hospital personnel to cease from “frequently going out of their stations” and going on travels.
He said they should also focus on improving the hospital’s services to complement its ongoing upgrading into a Level 1 facility or complete municipal hospital.
Solon issued an apology to the residents of Malungon for the “shortcomings” of the municipal hospital.
“We apologize to Mayor Tessa (Constantino) and our fellow Sarangans. Rest assured that we will dig deeper into this case and take immediate actions,” he added.(AVE/PNA)
