PGH to remain open despite mass leave of doctors

Despite the mass leave of some 63 doctors, the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) will remain open during the Holy Week to accommodate patients. PGH spokesman Dr. Michael Tee on Monday said the facility has enough personnel at the operating and emergency rooms. "Ang operating room bukas para sa emergency cases. Ang emergency room bukas rin (Our operating room is open to accommodate emergency cases. The emergency room is also open)," Tee said in an interview on dzXL radio. The PGH has around 650 common faculty members, 100 medical specialists, 260 medical interns, and 1400 nursing staff, among others. Some 63 doctors of the PGH signed a statement Sunday questioning the removal of Dr. Jose Gonzales as director of the University of the Philippines-run hospital. Gonzales, a 61-year-old surgeon who has previously worked in hospitals in the United States and Canada, was removed on February 25 and replaced by 41-year-old Dr. Enrique Domingo.

The doctors, however, claimed that last March 2, the College Council of the UP College of Medicine, whose membership represents the majority of doctors and faculty members of PGH, overwhelmingly approved a resolution recognizing Gonzales as the PGH's duly appointed director until December 2012. "We the undersigned have therefore decided to take a mass leave of absence starting the week of March 29, 2010 to express our anger and dismay over the oppression and dubious removal from office of one of our own PGH Doctor and to strongly protest the lack of a democratic process in selecting our Director," they said in a statement posted on the Bulatlat Web site. They added their leave of absence protects them "from following orders from a de facto PGH Director." On the other hand, they claimed their actions will not affect life-threatening or emergency cases. “We wish to make it clear that our actions will not affect life threatening or emergency cases in PGH patients but may only delay elective surgeries attendance to outpatient cases or other non-life threatening illnesses for a limited time only. Those of us in very sensitive leadership posts will likewise continue working in a limited capacity despite our LOA. We will not abandon our patients already admitted in hospital and will be available for emergency cases and critical aspects of patient care," they said. Sixty-three doctors signed the statement. The PGH administration, meanwhile, refused to comment on the doctors’ reason for the mass leave, saying the issue is already the subject of a court proceeding. “The cause of this alleged mass action has already been filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. We therefore opt to defer comments on matters sub judice. We urge the complainant to respect the courts," it said in a statement. – with Jerrie Abella, KBK, GMANews.TV