Carcar provincial hospital probed for patient’s death

Local

THE Cebu Provincial Health Office (CPHO) has launched an investigation into the treatment and hospital transfer of a 15-year-old road accident victim who died days after being brought to the Cebu Provincial Hospital (CPH) in Carcar City.

This follows allegations that delays in the electronic referral system cost him critical time.

CPHO Officer-in-Charge Dr. Mary Ann Josephine Arsenal said she ordered a verification of the incident after learning of the family’s claims, which spread widely on social media and triggered public outrage over emergency care protocols at government hospitals.

The victim, identified by the alias “Jikoy,” suffered severe injuries after he was reportedly struck by a motorcycle while heading home from a basketball game in Barangay Valladolid, Carcar City, in the early hours of Friday, Jan. 23.

An ambulance rushed him unconscious to CPH–Carcar at around 1 a.m.

By 4 a.m., doctors informed the family that the teenager needed specialized diagnostic tests and procedures that the hospital could not provide.

His sister, Dennielle Ariannah Delica, said the family immediately requested a transfer to a higher-level hospital, but the move allegedly stalled because of the required confirmation through the e-referral system.

Delica said in a radio interview the family had to wait for the online referral because hospital staff would not release the patient without prior acceptance from the receiving hospital, citing a protocol that required confirmation before any transfer could proceed.

According to the family, confirmation from Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City only came at around 10 a.m.

The patient arrived at VSMMC close to noon after traffic delays.

He remained in critical condition and died at around 11 p.m. on Sunday, two days after the accident.

Delica also alleged lapses in emergency care while her brother was confined at CPH–Carcar, claiming his pulse weakened as they waited and that relatives had to help clean his wounds and assist his breathing.

“Instead of them expediting it because the case was critical, they dithered,” she said.

She further claimed hospital staff asked whether the family could afford a P100,000 down payment when they inquired about transferring him to a private hospital, an allegation that intensified anger among netizens.

Arsenal defended the Department of Health’s e-referral system in Central Visayas, saying it aims to coordinate transfers and prevent patients from being turned away after arrival.

“The referral system is meant to save the patient’s time so they don't go from hospital to hospital only to be denied [entry],” she said, adding that even private hospitals must confirm bed and service availability before accepting

patients.

She stressed that hospitals should first stabilize patients and must not unnecessarily delay transfers.

Arsenal also noted that emergency and operating room services at CPH–Carcar operate in partnership with VSMMC under an existing agreement.

She said the province will take appropriate action once the investigation establishes the facts.

The teenager’s death has renewed scrutiny of CPH–Carcar, which faced investigation in July 2025 after a pregnant woman and her baby died due to the absence of an on-duty surgeon.(MyTVCebu)