Russia's Ruble Continues to Struggle

In a recent report by Bloomberg, the ruble continues to devaluate as it fell 18% against the dollar last month. Taking into consideration the global financial crisis and the current trends in russian oil stock market, Russia's Central Bank has been exerting a lot of effort to give the ruble a boost. I just hope that this will be effective and entice investors rather than drive them away.

Philippine Nurses to Render 2-Year Mandatory Local Service?

In one of the email updates I received from Pinoy R.N., I learned that Negros Oriental Reprensentative Ignacio Arroyo filed a bill requiring Philippine registered professionals to work in the Philippines for two years before they will be allowed to leave the country for greener pastures.

House Bill 04580 or the Mandatory Two-Year Domestic Service for all Filipino Registered Professionals Act was filed on July of this year. If this bill becomes a law, then professionals included in the PRC's Roster of Registered Professionals --nurses included-- won't be allowed to leave the country if they haven't complied with the required years of local employment even if opportunities to work overseas come knocking at their doors.

Currently pending in the lower house of Congress, Rep. Iggy Arroyo's infamous bill has been touted by union leaders as "absolutely unfair and discriminatory."

As for myself, I am wondering what on earth motivated this lawmaker from Negros Oriental to do such an irresponsible thing. It is not as if the Philippines has run out of skilled workers. If he did his homework before even thinking of filing the bill, then he would definitely figure out that there is, in fact, a shortage of financially-rewarding jobs for Filipino skilled workers.

Still, I am not concerned as things like these which are clearly products of haphazard thinking don't materialize and end up in the trash bin. I must admit, though, that I am sad that Rep. Arroyo wasted a lot of paper and money (spent on his staff's wages) on his infamous bill. He should have donated all those high-quality sheets of paper to this country's millions of needy schoolchildren instead. Or better yet, he should just give some of his money to the very professionals he targets in his bill so that they won't have to leave this country and their families behind to seek employment abroad.

Tsk, tsk. What a waste.

M/V Princess of the Stars

This is M/V Princess of the Stars, Sulpicio Lines' 23,824-ton flagship. Before it succumbed to the wrath of Typhoon Fengshen (Frank), that is.

Last June 21, tragedy befell this great ship and more than 800 of its passengers and crew members when the ship capsized several miles off the coast of Sibuyan, Romblon. As of June 26, only 32 survivors from the ill-fated vessels have been identified.

Sulpicio Lines, through the company's official website, gave this Public Announcement :

We have lost our good ship, MV Princess of the Stars, the crown jewel in our fleet, and some of our best crew. But more than these, we have lost valued passengers without whose patronage the company would not have been where it is today. Even as we grieve and continue to mourn the loss of priceless human lives, we must now match that grief with decisive action to directly address the plight of the victims and their loved ones to ease their suffering. Mindful, likewise, of the deep concern shown by our president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for the victims and their families and her desire that their plight be alleviated by concrete actions, Sulpicio Lines, Inc. has decided to cast aside legal technicalities and waive the waiting period of one year within which missing passengers will be compensated. Instead, the legal heirs of ALL VICTIMS LISTED IN THE PASSENGER MANIFEST will be paid the amount of Two Hundred Thousand Pesos regardless of whether the bodies have been recovered or are still missing, and regardless of whether the bodies have been identified or not up to this time. We therefore invite the next of kin or legal heirs of every passenger-victim (casualties) listed in the PASSENGER MANIFEST to fill up A CLAIM FORM which can be obtained from our Manila office at Pier 12, North Harbor, Manila or from our Cebu office at Reclamation Area, Cebu City, and submit this to either office, together with the following supporting documents (original copy):

1. Birth Certificate and Marriage Contract of victims;
2. Birth Certificate and Marriage Contract of claimant/s;
3. Valid cedula and government ID of the claimant/s;
4. Voter’s ID of the victim and claimant/s (if available or deemed necessary);
5. Affidavit of relationship of the claimant/s to the victim;
6. Death Certificate (if available).

There is no need to hire the services of a lawyer because the claims will be acted upon with dispatch and with as simple documentation as possible. The PASSENGER MANIFEST is posted in conspicuous places at the office of Sulpicio Lines, Inc. in Manila and Cebu. Human life is so precious that no money value can be attached to it. But this is the least that we can do to show how deeply we commiserate with the victims of this unfortunate event, a tragedy that nobody wanted to happen, least of all Sulpicio Lines. We would like to thank the NGOs, the PNRC, DSWD, DSWS, NDCC, NBI, DOTC and Marina, LGUs most especially the Cebu City Government, PN divers, PN, PNP and AFP, US Navy, Philippine Coast Guard auxiliary and most especially the Philippine Coast Guard for their invaluable assistance. This announcement shall not be construed as an admission of liability on the part of Sulpicio Lines, Inc.

May the Almighty God bless us all.

Indeed, considering the recent disasters and calamities reported all over the globe, may the Divine Almighty bless us all.

Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Fact-finding Committee Report: The Vaguest of the Century

I searched for updates on the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center fiasco and since I was specifically looking for the findings of the VSMMC fact-finding committee, I zeroed in on an article written by INQUIRER.net's Visayas Bureau Contributor Jhunex Napallacan.

Here are excerpts from Napallacan's article dated April 19:

The committee also recommended the issuance of a stern warning against one doctor and three nurse supervisors, who were advised to be more cautious in their performance of their duties as supervisors.

Asked why some medical staffers were only given a stern warning, Paradela explained that the each had a different level of participation.

He did not elaborate on the roles of the four.

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Center Fact-finding Committee, headed by Dr. Roque Anthony Paradela, is so obvious at attempting to downplay the unprofessional behavior of their erring OR staff that it is utterly disgusting. Geez, these blokes had the audacity to announce the completion of the preliminary investigation they conducted and conveniently forgot to include the facts in their report.

Even their recommendation that a 'stern warning' be issued to a doctor and three nurse supervisors is downright preposterous. A stern warning? Aw, c'mon, Dr. Paradela. You gotta be kidding me! Even nursing students who report late for clinical rotations receive waaayyy more than that.

The committee lauded the team for the successful operation on Danilo.

“In fact, this is the first case here in VSMMC. Although, we would like to commend the surgical team for expertly handling the manual extraction of the foreign body without going into an invasive procedure and without any complications,” the report said.

Good God! Dr. Roque Anthony Paradela and the members of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Fact-finding Committee are really confused. For some inexplicable reason, they think that the main objective of the committee is to showcase how successful the surgical operation was and perhaps receive loads of compliment for this 'medical milestone'.

Oh sure, the surgical team was brilliant but this isn't the right time to fish for compliments so you guys might as well stop distracting us. Because you totally suck at it.:)

Cebu Hospital YouTubeVideo Scandal: Another Hypocrite Speaks Up

I found this on GMANEWS.TV:

MANILA, Philippines - A Catholic priest on Wednesday said that the 39-year old man who underwent rectal surgery in Cebu should also accept part of the blame.

According to the priest who is based in Cebu, the patient's trouble started when he contacted an alleged call boy who then stuck a body spray canister up the man's rectum at the height of their sexual act.

“They seem to forget the whole thing. They are blaming the doctors for what they (did) but I think they should blame the guy for what they did," Monsignor Achilles Dakay, spokesman for Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, said.

Dakay's comment was aired over church-run Radio Veritas.

The patient had admitted in previous media interviews that he picked up a male prostitute. He said he was drunk when the incident happened in January.

He had an operation at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) to have the canister removed. However, doctors recorded the surgery and had fun doing it.

The video has been posted on YouTube.

Dakay said that while the church is not condemning homosexuals, it will not tolerate homosexual acts.

“They are made that way but if they did what is prohibited, that’s another thing," he added.

In the same interview, Dakay said that homosexuality is “prevalent" in Cebu, the province where the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan erected the country’s first Cross.

“We should be ashamed. It’s not just scandalous, (it’s) very shameful," he said, referring to the spread of the surgery video on the Internet.

Danton Remoto, co-founder of the gay group Ang Ladlad, earlier commented that the patient was victimized twice: first when the male prostitute inserted the canister inside his rectum, and second, when the video of the operation spread via YouTube.

Ang Ladlad, composed of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender, sent a psychologist to Cebu to counsel the patient who is filing charges against the hospital’s medical team and were seen misbehaving during the procedure.

Remoto said Dakay comment towards the incident is "expected" because this is the Catholic Church's stand towards homosexuality.

"Msgr. Achilles was just reiterating the church's stand," he said.

Remoto reiterated his call to gay individuals to "be careful" when engaging in solicited sex.

"In the end, we are one with the Catholic Church," he said.

Wow, another shoo-in for the Religious Hypocrites Hall of Fame!

Maybe we have to remind this good Monsignor that this YouTube video scandal isn't about homosexuality and the evils behind it. The whole fiasco isn't about why a homosexual ended up with a canister inside his rectum but is about why the OR staff had fun at the expense of a helpless patient.

You should familiarize yourself with the patient's bill of rights, Monsignor.

Monsignor Achilles Dakay saying,"They seem to forget the whole thing. They are blaming the doctors for what they (did) but I think they should blame the guy for what they did", is reason enough for him to be disciplined by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. Where on earth can we find someone who actively represents God say such things about a victim of abuse?

If Monsignor Dakay is so opinionated about this scandalous video to the point of blaming the victim, then he should do a month-long documentary on Pope Benedict's recent visit to the United States. He should include facts like the Vatican spending more than $2 billion in settlements to victims of sexual abuse in the United States and the Pope APOLOGIZING to victims of sexual abuse. Surely this very prejudiced Monsignor knows that in the United States alone more than 5,000 priests have been accused of pedophilia and sexual abuse.

If this bigot of a Monsignor cannot even speak about the 'filth' within the Roman Catholic Church, then he has no business commenting on the scandalous video. Because nothing is more scandalous than priests molesting children.

Get down from your high horse, Monsignor. Or better yet, just shut up!

By the way, I am a Roman Catholic so spare me the religious blah-blah.

Docs, Nurses in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Fiasco Identified

This just in from GMANews.TV:

(Updated 3:30 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday identified five of the 15 members of the medical staff in Cebu City who may face charges for their misconduct during an operation to remove a perfume canister from a patient’s anus.

QTV’s Balitanghali reported that the three doctors and two nurses of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) who were involved in the Cebu "surgery scandal" are:

• Dr. Philips Leo Arias, head surgeon;
• Dr. Angelo Alinawagan, assisting surgeon;
• Dr. Max Joseph Montecillo, surgeon at an adjacent operating table;
• Nursing attendant Rosemarie Villareal; and
• Circulating nurse Carmiña Sapio.

The five, along with 10 others, will be facing administrative, civil, and criminal charges for their involvement in the scandal.

The Health Department said that though remaining unidentified, some of the 10 others were nursing interns, who will likewise be facing charges.

The report noted that administrative cases have yet to be filed against the members of the team, pending a show-cause order for them to defend their side and explain why charges should not be lodged against them.

Consequently, no preventive measures have so far been imposed since there are no charges filed yet.

The medical team’s arguments will be examined before a preliminary investigation is set in motion by a hearing committee to be formed by the Health Department, the television report added.

The 39-year-old victim in the said scandal has previously vowed to lodge civil and criminal complaints against the medical team.

A report from Iglesia ni Cristo-run radio dzEC said Tuesday that the victim had already submitted an affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas detailing how the doctors and nurses ridiculed him in connection to his surgery.

The DOH said it will also forward the results of its investigation to the Professional Regulation Commission, which will ultimately deliberate on whether or not to revoke the licenses of the doctors and nurses involved.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said they will review the findings submitted by the regional heath office in Central Visayas to determine what sanctions they would impose against the accused medical practitioners, especially after the said regional office upheld the results of the VSMMC fact-finding team finding probable cause for the filing of administrative charges.

But the QTV report said that at this stage of the investigation, they see the medical staff as committing violations like simple neglect and grave misconduct.

In particular, the DOH said the medical team violated hospital surgery protocols when the operation was recorded on video without consent and when the medical team displayed disrespect with a patient, especially one who was under general anesthesia.

For her part, Central Visayas regional health director Susana Madarieta quoted VSMMC officials as defending the members of the medical team, saying their reaction was allegedly the result of a sudden outburst of emotion due to the ‘success’ of the operation.

“They were so ecstatic when they were able to successfully extract the object but they were not anymore aware of what was happening around, that people were already taking videos and everything because of the successful operation," Madarieta said.

But still Madarieta said they are wont not to tolerate such behavior, adding “The reaction was very excessive also."

In a separate dzEC report, Madarieta said he was able to speak to some of the members of the medical team, who she added appeared “remorseful" for the act. But Madarieta admitted that they are still trying to identify who uploaded the 2:54-minute video of the operation on the Internet. She said they suspect a medical student was the likely culprit.

Duque III expressed disappointment over the incident, saying that it could have become a “good and ideal" sample case for future medical studies but instead turned shameful.

The VSMMC Officials are either blind, ignorant, or plain stupid in trying to downplay everything that happened inside that operating room. I watched the video and the offenders' reactions were not a simple case of being ecstatic because they were successful in extracting the foreign object. Even before this happened, the head surgeon said in a very loud voice, "Okay...documenting." Somebody even leaned over the sterile field to take a video. So what was that crap about the surgical team not being aware that people were already taking videos? They even made sure that everything, including the brand stamped on the extracted canister, was recorded for future reference.

Shameless whitewashing.

Still, I am glad that they finally had the decency to name the erring doctors and nurses but methinks the headcount is inaccurate. I watched the video and more than 15 people took part in the merriment. If there were nursing students inside the room that time, then by all means, their clinical instructor should be charged as well.

Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Staff In Hot Water

A very good friend emailed me this very chunky piece of nursing-related news from Inquirer.net:

Six doctors and several nurses and staff of a government-run hospital here were being investigated after they were linked to video footage of a surgical team apparently making fun of a patient during operation.

The video was uploaded to YouTube and circulated through mobile phones.

The video, taken last January 3, was of a male patient who was undergoing an operation at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) to take out a perfume canister that had been inserted into his rectum by a male sex partner on New Year's Eve.

The video ran for at least two minutes and 28 seconds and showed how the operating team of more than 10 people extracted the canned body spray from the patient's rectum as some laughed and cheered when the "baby" was pulled out. The video is no longer available on YouTube.

VSMMC spokesperson Dr. Emmanuel Gines said the hospital created a team, composed of doctors and administrative officers, to conduct an investigation.

Gines, however, refused to identify the members of the investigation team and the medical staff under investigation.

He added that the results of the investigation would come out late this week or early next week and the team's recommendations would be subject to the approval of VSMMC medical director Gerardo Aquino.

Gines said the hospital also forwarded the case to the Cebu Medical Society.

The medical staff involved in the incident continue to report for duty, according to Gines.

Gines also apologized to the patient but the patient has decided to file a complaint against the medical staff.

Dave Tumulak, village chairman of Basak Pardo in Cebu City, said the patient would file criminal and administrative charges for violation of several provisions of the Patients Bill of Rights against those involved in the January 3 surgery.

Tumulak, who is assisting the patient, explained that the patient had been badly affected and has seldom left his house since many people in the village knew of the incident.

He said the patient would also sue the VSMMC medical director.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried calling Aquino's cell phone but he was not answering calls.

Tumulak said the patient hired the services of lawyer Guiller Ceniza to assist him in the preparation of charges.

However, he said, they had yet to identify the persons involved in the taking of the footage since the hospital management refused to cite names.

Tumulak urged the VSMMC management to open their records of the operation conducted January 3 so they could get the names of those involved.

Meanwhile, Gines acknowledged the need to strengthen hospital policies on the use of mobile phones with or without cameras inside the operating room and other areas of the hospital.

C'mon, guys. Don't be too harsh on these doctors and nurses. They were just having too much of a good time, perhaps merely horsing around while performing a surgical procedure. What's wrong with violating the patient's right to privacy and confidentiality if your ultimate goal is to produce another YouTube phenomenon? If the Dancing Inmates of Cebu made it to the Time Magazine's 10 Most Watched Internet Videos for 2007, why can't they for this year?

Surely, these fun-loving doctors and nurses do not deserve our baseless criticisms. As patient advocates, they deserve more than that. What each of these guys deserve is a hug canister of hair spray shoved up their @ss!

Geez, what were they thinking?