My father died last September 23, 2008 at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. We filed a complaint to the director of the said hospital for what we think a medical malpractice committed by some of the staff of VMMC. A letter was sent dated Sept 30, 2008.

Date: September 30, 2008

To: Antonio B. Sison

Director

Veterans Memorial Medical Center

North Ave. Quezon City

Thru: Dominador Chiong

Chief of Clinic

Dear Sir,

Good day. I am Marie Jean Ytienza the 4^th daughter of a veteran Inigo T. Espiritu who was recently confined at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center. I am writing you to share some occurrences that transpired with in the 4 day stay of my father at the MICU & ward section of the hospital. My intention of doing this is to call the attention of the entire medical personnel of VMMC. I understand that one of the main objectives of the hospital is to provide quality patient care to veterans & their dependents. But to my surprise what took place is the other way around.

My father was confined on Sept 18, 2008 because of mild stroke. He stayed at MICU for 4 days. After his treatment, he survived the first attack based on the results of the CT scan dated Sept 22 5pm taken from V. Luna Gen Hospital. What the whole family could not accept up to now is the cause of my father’s death which is pneumonia because on the first day of his confinement he never had this kind of disease.

We were just forced to believe that it was normal for a patient to acquire airborne diseases if he had been bed ridden for 4 days because he already loses resistance to viruses due to his condition. But that is not our primary concern. My father had been transferred from MICU to ward section on the night of September 22 per instruction of his physician because according to the result of his CT scan his condition is already stable and his blood pressure had been normalized except for his pneumonia which still needs to be treated. And that is now the start of our father’s misery. From MICU he was transferred to ward 17 under the medical jurisdiction of Dra. Europa.

On the eve of September 23 my father’s condition worsen. He had difficulty in breathing due to phlegm caused by pneumonia, his temperature had shoot up to 40°C and his blood pressure started to drop to 50.

My mother who personally attends to my dad immediately called the attention of Dra Europa and informed her of my dad’s condition & insisted to transfer him back to MICU. This arrogant doctor did not respond immediately & instead made some nasty comment. When my mom asked for an ice bag she said “ wala kami ice! sinaksyon mo nab a yan? Dito ang patakaran kung wala kayong caregiver ang nagbabantay ang magsasaksyon.” My mom replied: “ wala po ako idea kung pano magsakyon di po ba dapat kayo ang gagawa nun”. I cannot imagine how a patient who had recently suffered from a stroke and now had pneumonia as complication will live with no choice but to take care of himself.

My father died on September 23, 2008 and when I found out what happened on the eve of his death I demanded an explanation from Dra. Europa. She did not show up but instead called me over the phone & explained her side. She apologized and informed me of the reason of her viciousness.

This conceited doctor said the reason why she acted that way is because she is so furious over the staff of the MICU department and she even questioned them why they transferred the patient with a very critical condition to ward department- which is very much contrary to the claim of the MICU physician.

There is nothing we can do to bring back the life of my father but we believe we can do something to correct your rotting medical procedure that constantly adds to the agony & pain of the patient’s family.

Thank you for finding time to read my letter.

Marie Jean Ytienza