Guilty cataract docs face expulsion, says PAO natl prexy
Like one rotten apple in a basket, member-eye specialists of the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmologists (PAO) found to be guilty of highly-unethical practices will be removed from the flock.
As such, expulsion awaits the guilty ones with PAO national president, Dr. Dominga Padilla bent on guarding and cleansing the ranks and protecting the integrity of its members.
"Galit kami (We are outraged)," Dr. Padilla admitted in yesterday's interview with Rhod Tecson of Radio Mindanao Network (RMN). Padilla was reacting to the controversy generated by the questionable millions in cataract case claims made before the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) or PhilHealth.
Discovered to have employed a system violative of ethical standards set by the Academy and PhilHealth itself, Dr. Padilla decried the continued practice of a member-eye doctors. Now multi-millionaires, thanks or no thanks to PhilHealth, a thorough 'make-over' is now underway within the PHIC policies if only to ensure that the practice will not bankrupt the system.
With documents on hand, Padilla said she immediately wrote PhilHealth and asked the names of Ophthalmologists "so we can do something about this."
The PAO while a private organization is a member of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA).
Padilla stressed that membership was not compulsory yet those in it must follow the rules or leave the Academy.
The PAO's concern, she stressed, is that abusive activities will cause the PhilHealth's eventual downfall. To date, Padilla said in the RMN interview, they want that any and all violation of ethical standards of the Academy will be correspondingly considered a violation of PhilHealth policies.
"And we plan to elevate our complaints to the Philippine Medical Association and the Professional Regulation Commission," she continued. "PhilHealth-seeking and soliciting is wrong and must not be done in the guise of free medical mission… Do not fool the patients. Remember, PhilHealth patients are still paying patients since members pay or the government pays."
'Red flag'
PhilHealth has since confirmed that an intensive investigation is underway with at least two Ilonggo doctors and two hospitals subject of the probe. Yet the "red flag" is also up on all cataract case claims of all Ophthalmologists in Western Visayas with the cataract case claim-situation dubbed as "of epidemic proportion"
PhilHealth Regional Office 6 for some four years now has been besieged with highly-huge reimbursements and payments for cataract operations. Problem though was, complaints mounted on the practice amidst questions of ethics and regularity on the system employed in getting the patients.
'Trawling'
Padilla said the term used by PhilHealth was "trawling" of patients with the recruitment of cataract patients likened to a net thrown in the seas then fishes regardless of size or make will be fished out of the waters.
The recruitment-scheme, Padilla said, affects the quality of care, opens the patients to greater risks and rids them their right to proper post-op care.
"Hindi talaga tama ito (This is not really proper)," she said while adding how the practice of cataract seekers started before as a strategy for public health. Problem began upon the entry of PhilHealth especially the coverage granted to the poor.
One of the hospitals mentioned was Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital. Hospital executive Evangeline Johnson, same person behind Iloilo's Saviour International Hospital has since denied any wrongdoing while accepting that indeed, cataract claims is higher here.
This, Johnson explained, was due to the fact that her hospital is number one when it comes to state of the art equipment. She also named Dr. Nonito Avecilla, Dr. Leopoldo Cuaycong and Dr. Miguel Sarabia as her top three doctors. Dr. Cuaycong has since left Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital though. When reached for reaction, Dr. Cuaycong begged off to explain with The News Today (TNT) yet said that it is not for him to comment on the practice of his fellow doctors in said hospital.
Sarabia for his part strongly maintained that he has his own system aimed at helping the poor but yes, they charge PhilHealth for after all, they have families to feed.
Of the three, only Dr. Avecilla has a clinic here in Iloilo City. Sarabia has "dis-owned" the manner of "recruitment" of Avecilla.
Enraged
"How can that be?," Padilla reacted on Johnson being not aware of the questioned cataract practices in her Bacolod hospital.
Meantime, the PAO continuously meet to address the controversy while more validation is being made tips after tips that the Academy receives. Their website, she said, has been besieged by emails from member-doctors enraged by the report with prevailing sentiments to expel the erring specialists.
"It is not the number of patients that they operate. The manner how these patients are gathered is the problem. Kung wala kang pakialam sa ethics... kung wala kang pakialam sa (If you do not care about ethics, if you do not care about) quality, then it becomes a complicated issue. Don't call it charity if it's PhilHealth. Help in an ethical way. As far as the academy is concerned the practice is unethical. If you are a member, then follow the rules," she ended while reminding members that in the PHilHealth accreditation, the doctors' signature are affixed as they sign a warranty to work within the ethical standards of PhilHealth.
"PhilHealth members should understand that they are paying members and they have the right to quality care. Lumapit kayo sa (Approach our) members namin dahil may tama silang (because they have the proper) medical mission. Hindi kayo gagawing parang sardinas (They will not treat/cramped you like (a can) of sardines). There is proper screening by a doctor and you are entitled to this," Dr. Padilla in her message to the public said. "Make sure that a competent doctor takes care of you."
Padilla also shared that PAO member-specialists are hesitant to be part of Johnson's Saviour International Hospital in Iloilo amidst concern of being dragged into the controversy.
Johnson in a press conference last week said though that there are already Iloilo-based Ophthalmologists who applied in her hospital and will be in anytime soon.