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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Metro Manila devider Valenzuela court issues arrest warrant vs hospital employees for slight illegal detention

Valenzuela court issues arrest warrant vs hospital employees for slight illegal detention

Published May 10, 2024 10:21 am

The Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 109 issued an arrest order against six private hospital employees accused of illegally detaining the relatives of patients who failed to fully settle their hospital bills, the Valenzuela City government announced on Friday, May 10.

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Mayor Wes Gatchalian, Councilor Atty. Bimbo Dela Cruz, Col. Allan Umipig and complainants (Photo from Valenzuela City Government/Manila Bulletin)

The complainants from Barangay Gen. T. De Leon and Lingunan filed separate complaints on April 15 against private hospital employees for serious illegal detention committed from October 20, 2019 to November 29, 2017, and from October 11, 2021 to October 29, 2021.

One of the cases involved a woman who gave birth prematurely and was admitted to the hospital. The victim and her child stayed in the hospital for over a month. 

They paid at least P200,000 of their P556,000 outstanding bill and requested a promissory note for the balance, but the hospital refused and did not discharge the patients.

The family sought help from the Public Attorney’s Office which issued a demand letter for the patients' discharge from the hospital.

The woman and the baby were able to go home, but the hospital did not register the birth certificate of the child due to the unsettled bill.

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Photo from Valenzuela City Government/Manila Bulletin

In another case, a patient who tested positive for Covid-19 in October 2021, received a discharge order on her 11th day in the hospital with a total bill of P275,374.

However, the patient's Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) did not cover all the expenses and she still had to pay the remaining balance of P150,372. The victim also requested a promissory note, which was denied by the hospital staff.

The patient was unable to settle her bill and had to wait until her family completed the required quarantine period.

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Valenzuela City Mayor WeS Gatchalian and Councilor Atty. Bimbo Dela Cruz accompanied the complainants in filing their complaints on April 15 (Photo from Valenzuela City Government/Manila Bulletin)

Valenzuela City Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian together with Councilor Atty. Bimbo dela Cruz accompanied on April 15 the two complainants to file their complaints.

Due to the incidents, the city government issued Ordinance No. 1178, series of 2024 of the Valenzuela City Anti-Hospital Detention Ordinance.

The ordinance prohibits the detention of individuals and cadavers in healthcare facilities and the refusal to issue birth or death certificates due to unpaid medical bills.

It applies to all healthcare provider institutions and individuals in Valenzuela City.

Under the ordinance, healthcare providers who violate it face penalties such as a fine of P200,000 or a 30-day suspension of their business permit for the first offense. The penalty increases for subsequent offenses.

The city government will administer a special account to cover unpaid promissory notes issued to indigent patients as determined by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).

The city government had ordered an investigation into a private hospital for illegally detaining the relatives of patients who failed to fully settle their bills.
 

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/3/valenzuela-gov-t-probes-private-hospital-for-illegal-detention

 

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