Why hire nurses if the janitor can do the job??

[Hoss]

...a whole new meaning to "janitorial services".....

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 04, 2011.

A PATIENT of a hospital in Bantayan Island is having difficulty relieving

himself after the hospital reportedly ordered the facility's janitor to be the

one to insert his catheter.

Astero Rivera, 68, from Barangay Ticad, Bantay-an, has been urinating blood

since the catheter was inserted improperly last Tuesday.

Bantayan Mayor Ian Chris Escario wants the incident investigated. Rivera

reportedly works for him.

Last Tuesday, Rivera reportedly went to the Bantayan District Hospital after

failing to urinate for three days.

The hospital decided to insert a catheter to solve his problem. But instead of

the medical personnel, hospital janitor Arturo Abello performed the procedure.

Dr. James Najaro, a member of the hospital staff, confirmed it was Abello who

inserted the catheter because there were too many patients to be handled by the

hospital staff alone.

Najaro said the hospital trained Abello how to insert catheter. He said Abello

used to work as the hospital's security guard. He started working as utility man

after Capitol sent another security guard.

Najaro said he was having difficulty inserting the catheter himself, and advised

Rivera to transfer to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu

City.

Doctors at the VSMMC said the reason Rivero is urinating blood is that the

catheter was not properly inserted.

Najaro said they are now making some changes in the way the district hospital is

run.

Najaro said Escario has ordered him to investigate the incident.

Another doctor in the hospital, Dr. Tomasita Santillan, was on leave at the time

of the incident and will report back to work today.

THIS IS AN OUTRAGEOUS CRIME COMMITTED ON A HUMAN BEING EXPECTING PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE!!!!!

[flymeherethere]

just awful.. wouldnt want to be in the patient's shoes..

[ginrn2010]

We really don't have a future in Phil.

[caliotter3]

I commend the poor janitor for trying to maintain his own employment in such circumstances. I am sure he did his best. I only hope the patient is able to fully recover with no lasting negative consequences. And what are we to think when there are scores and scores of educated Filipino nurses who can't get work in the Philippines? Unacceptable.