The identities of the medical team members who handled the rectal surgery of a male patient whose ordeal was exposed on the Internet will remain confidential.A hospital investigation committee yesterday announced that three doctors and one nurse will face administrative charges for “inappropriate” conduct during the Jan. 3 operation in the government-un Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) based in Cebu City. But no names of medical staffers were revealed by the committee. The lid kept on the identities of the doctors and other staffers so angered the patient, that the complainant “Danilo” went straight to the Ombudsman’s office to turn over a copy of the video of his surgery posted on YouTube. He vowed to filed criminal and administrative charges against all those involved. During a much-awaited press conference, Dr. Roque Anthony Paradela, hospital's chief of clinic read the committee’s one page statement. It said the committee found probable cause to file an administrative case against four medical pratcitioners for violation of the provisions of Republic Act 6713 or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. No preventive suspension was recommended, said Paradela, because the VSMMC was short of manpower. The committee report will be sent to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas which are conducting separate probes. The committee statement was not signed nor did it carry the hospital's logo. The hospital formed the fact-finding committee after officials saw a video recording of the Jan. 3, 2008 surgery posted on YouTube. The video showed hospital staffers jeering and making fun of the unconscious patient while a metal can of Black Suede body spray was being pulled out of his rectum. The cannister was inserted by a male partner after a night of sex on New Year's Eve. Danilo (not his real name) was saddened by the failure of the hospital to divulge the names of the doctors and nurse. Because of this, Danilo said he would file criminal, civil and administrative charges against the doctors and nurses with the Office of the Ombudsman, the Professional Regulatory Commission, the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Health. Paradela defended the hospital's refusal to identify the people involved. “This is an internal operation and this is not final. And there's an on going investigation at the Ombudsman and (the Department of Health) Central Office. We may preempt their investigation,” he said. The committee’s statement said the hospital's investigation report noted that while the surgical team could have been excited because it was an unusual case resulting in the cheering during the operation, their behavior was excessive and inappropriate. 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. 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 committee also recommended that the clinical instructor and nurse trainees from a nursing school in Cebu who probably misbehaved inside the emergency operating room 2 during the surgical procedure would no longer be accepted for internship duty at the hospital. Paradela said it was a student nurse who uploaded the video on YouTube, not the VSMMC nurses and doctors. The student nurse was not identified. The committee also recommended to the school for disciplinary action to be taken against the student. The committee said existing OR standard operating procedures should be reviewed, revised and updated. It suggested that the revised SOP should be disseminated. Paradela said the other people seen in the video came from other ORs inside the complex. They were curious about the procedure done on Danilo. “They are from within OR complex, not from outside”, he said. Susana Madarieta, DOH director for Central Visayas , wil review the committee findings. If they are not satisfied, she said they may call the medical staff and the patient. She assured there would be no whitewash. She said DOH would submit its report to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday. | 
