On early morning of Sunday, January 20, Marvin Kenn, three years old and resident of Barangay Lag-on, Daet, was rushed to the hospital after experiencing convulsion.

        In the emergency room, the attending midwife and nurse Rowena Sabanal of Barangay Gahonon, Daet, instead of attending to the serious condition of the child, went to the routine of getting the name, age, and address of the patient and followed it up with giving a basin of water to the mother of the patient instructing her to sponge-bath the child.

DR. DELOS SANTOS

        After about 5 minutes, Dr. Jesus Mario Delos Santos came and treated first a newly arrived pregnant woman who only wanted to know if it was already her time to deliver her child. Delos Santos got angry when he was asked by this reporter why his son was not attended to first when he was in critical condition.

        When the correspondent received the “resita”, he asked the doctor if a nebulizer could be used since the patient was asthmatic and Delos Santos sarcastically replied, “Bakit marunong pa kayo sa doctor.” (Why do you know more than the doctor?)

        This reporter learned later that the prescribed antibiotic, Clarrithronycin, cost P652 which was over 100 percent in comparison with the generic brand of P230.

        It may be recalled that Health Secretary. Francisco Duque III warned doctors that they might lose their license on account of their not using generic medicine in times of emergency.

        On Tuesday morning, Provincial Health Officer Arnulfo Salagoste, MD, arranged for the meeting of Delos Santos and Sabanal with this complaining reporter.

        During the confrontation, Delos Santos claimed that this reporter shouted at him when the latter asked why the pregnant woman had the preference of treatment.

        The reporter explained that he was a little far from the doctor so that the former increased the volume of his voice and that was a normal reaction of a parent whose child was critically ill.

        Delos Santos did not accept the explanation of this reporter and told him he should not shout at him for he was not the one feeding him and that if this reporter did not have money to pay for the medicine, that’s his problem.

        On Wednesday morning Delos Santos was criticized on air by a radio broadcaster receiving comments from listeners who were also victimized by the doctor.

        According to Dr. Myrna Rojas, president of the Camarines Norte Medical and Dental Association, Delos Santos does not belong to their association.