Quezon City (7 November) -- Iloilo Congresswoman Janette L. Garin expressed concern over the new medical malpractice case filed against popular entrepreneur, Vicki Belo and called for the immediate passage of the Physicians' Act to bring down the cases of medical malpractice in the country.

Garin, who is also a Physician by profession, was dismayed with the recent case filed by Josefina Norcio against Belo and and fellow physicians Rolando Cayetano and Francis Decangchon over an alleged botched butt augmentation that she had in Belo's clinic in 2003 and 2005. Norcio accused the said doctors of using hydrogel that contains acrolein – a pulmonary irritant on the procedures done on her.

"It is truly appalling if Norcio's accusations were true. This means that we truly need to do something to protect Filipino patients against medical malpractices that seem to crop up more frequently now," said Garin.

"Shocking as it may still seem, this case is not entirely new. Several lawsuits have been filed before against Belo and even Drs. Manny and Pie Calayan. In fact, this kind of cases continue to increase over time," Garin added.

She mentioned the case of Leoum Martinez who filed a case against the famous Calayan doctors because of a botched penile enhancement procedure. "Leoum Martinez is still seeking justice, a slow and expensive clamor for justice."

The doctor-solon said that passing the Physicians' Act is crucial in order to initiate such reforms. "If these high profile doctors are brave enough to violate the "Do No Harm" rule of the medical profession then how much more for the other doctors who are not under public scrutiny all the time?"

Garin said that the accusation of the NBI investigation that Belo, Cayetano and Decangchon were not surgeons and that the three have not fulfilled the minimum training requirements of the Philippine Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons is a serious accusation that must be looked into. PAPRAS is the recognized specialty arm of the Philippine Medical Association, in terms of plastic and cosmetic surgery.

"Let us hit the problem in its core. The new addition to the many pending cases against these cosmetic surgeons only reveals the problem in the medical profession in the country. There is an immediate need to introduce reforms in the medical profession in the country, bveing governed by an obsolete medical act," said Garin.

Physicians' Act

Garin is the main sponsor of the Physicians' Act that was recently passed in the lower house. The bill specifically seeks for the standardization, upgrading and regulation of the practice of medicine and the integration of the profession. In addition, it also seeks to add more grounds to the revocation of licenses of medical practitioners as opposed to the 3 grounds provided by the Medical Act of 1959.

Garin emphasized that the Medical Act is already obsolete. There are emerging unethical practices that are not covered by this law. "How much victims do we need because of an obsolete law before the government take action on this?" Medical specialization should be defined. It seems a lot of doctors are claiming to be plastic and cosmetic surgeons where in fact they have not gone through the necessary specialty training. Patients end up financially depleted under the care of some doctors who cannot repair the damage done because of the lack of skills and necessary training.

"As a policymaker, I believe that it is the responsibility of Congress to the people to ensure the immediate passage of a law as significant as the proposed Physicians' Act," Garin expressed.