Manila City Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada scolded a doctor after turning out a dengue patient and reffered it to other hospitals.  Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center (OMMC) yesterday reported that their is a woman and a 6 year old daughter hwho was sick in dengue but the hospital didn’t accept them but instead tell them to go to other hospital.

He said this indifference to patients, especially those in emergency situations, is a direct violation – and may even be considered an act of sabotage – of his directive to all officials and personnel of all city-run hospitals to always pro- vide prompt, complete services to patients for free.

Estrada learned of the incident in his “Ugnayan sa Mamamayan” public forum at Barangay 775 in Manila’s District 5.During the forum, Gina Lumtong, 31, a housewife married to a deliveryman, told the mayor of her experience when she sought help at the OMMC last month.

Lumtong said her daughter, Nicole, was suffering from high fever and frequent vomiting and was bleeding from her nose.

She said she was informed that they could get free services from the OMMC but was surprised and disappointed when she was told by the doctor to first get some laboratory tests done at the Philippine General Hospital  (PGH).

Erap said that it is not right because he is doing everything for the people to have a quality and free service as well. He scolded the doctor this way “I’m doing everything for our hospitals, but then this is what you are doing with the patients… It was an emergency… And you referred them to other hospitals. You referred them to the PGH when there are other city government-owned hospitals where medical services are free,” he told the doctor.