Two doctors and a nurse were placed under preventive suspension Wednesday for their roles in a controversial surgery at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu last January.
Radio dzBB reported that the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas regional office barred the three from reporting for duty while their case is being investigated.
DOH regional director Susan Madarieta identified those who were placed under preventive suspension as:
• Dr. Philips Leo Arias;
• Dr. Max Joseph Montecillo; and
• nurse Carmiña Sapio.
The three are among members of the medical team facing administrative charges for a surgical procedure involving the removal of a canister from a patient's anus.
A video taken of the surgery which showed the surgery team cheering as the canister was being removed from the patient was posted on the video-sharing site YouTube, prompting the patient to press complaints against the medical team.
The incident has also prompted the DOH to conduct an investigation on the case and tighten hospital procedures in the operating room.
Last April 16, the DoH identified the three doctors and two nurses involved in the January operation, including:
• Dr. Philips Leo Arias, head surgeon;
• Dr. Angelo Alinawagan, assisting surgeon;
• Dr. Max Joseph Montecillo, surgeon at an adjacent operating room;
• nursing attendant Rosemarie Villareal; and
• circulating nurse Carmiña Sapio.
Later, the DOH identified four others who were involved in the incident, namely:
• Dr. Marlowe Parreño, VSMMC consultant;
• Isabelita Remulta, senior operating room nurse supervisor;
• Consuelo Tecling, senior operating room nurse; and
• Ida Sumayang, senior operating room nurse on call.
2 Doctors, nurse suspended for the Cebu Surgery Scandal
Cebu Surgery Scandal
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III yesterday named five of the 15 medical staff and students who were present in the operating room during a controversial surgery last Jan. 3 at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City where doctors removed a perfume canister from a patient’s rectum. The procedure was recorded on video without the patient’s permission and uploaded on YouTube, a video sharing website.
Named were Dr. Philip Leo Arias, head surgeon; Dr. Angelo Alinawagan, assisting surgeon; Dr. Max Joseph Montecillo, a surgeon at an adjacent operating room; nursing attendant Rosemarie Villareal and circulating nurse Carmenia Sapio.
The patient yesterday filed criminal and administrative charges before the Ombudsman for the Visayas. Although the complainant – a florist and resident of Barangay Basak-Pardo – did not name the respondents in his eight-page sworn statement, Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago said those responsible for the unauthorized uploading of the footage on YouTube may be identified during the investigation that formally started yesterday.
Another aspect of the investigation will focus on why the VSMMC medical personnel allowed so many people inside the operating room even if they were unauthorized.
The Department of Health (DOH) is now reviewing the recommendation of the VSMMC fact-finding committee that administrative charges be filed against the medical staff.
A “show cause order” has been issued by the DOH, directing these “primary respondents” to explain why charges should not be lodged against them.
