Incident Report

i was rummaging through my files here at my notebuk when i saw this document i wrote last year about an incident report. I was supposed to file this to the clinical director and to the hospital director but decided to let it pass. reading it brought back memories.... :)

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To: Dr. Christia Padolina
Hospital Director
Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center

Thru: Dr. Isaias Cando
Chief of Clinics
Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center

Dear Madam:

I, Enrique C. Papa Jr., a Medical Clerk of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila would like to report an incidence that happened last September 19, 2006 at the Bleeding Room of the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center. This is with regards the improper decorum shown to me by the Clinical Instructor of the Centro Escolar University- College of Dentistry.

Around Seven-thirty in the morning, I already took my post at the Bleeding Room, together with my Post Graduate Intern and Co-Medical Clerk. There were no Donors yet, however, there were Dentistry Students outside the Bleeding Room and asked me if they could go inside the room. I went ahead inside the room and prepared the things needed for the day’s duty. While waiting for the Donors, the Dentistry students went inside the room on my permission, and they asked if they could perform blood typing among themselves. Thinking it was only one who would have his blood typed, I allowed them to do so. While waiting for the Donors, I humbly started a conversation with them, asking from what school they were from and what course. They generously responded that they were Dentistry Students from CEU. In the course of the conversation, I asked them what they would be doing inside the Bleeding Room. According to one of them, they were asked to observe. Out of curiosity, I asked them what is the implication of their observation here in the Bleeding Room on their study. One of the students named Paul, replied: “Wala.” Then I jokingly said: “Kung ako, matutulog na lang ako.” We all then burst into laughter and a few of them commented if I could sign their grading sheet. I told them: “Hindi naman ako pwede. Kung pwede lang, gagawin ko. Baka iba mag-grade sa inyo.“ The conversation continued with others asking questions about the criteria on approving and deferring Blood Donors. As someone in charge of the Bleeding Room, I answered them to the best of my knowledge on Blood Banking. Two of the Dentistry Students asked me if they could donate blood. I initially screened them, and in the process, I approved the two students. Everything was going on quite well, until a few Donors came in and I immediately attended to them. I left the Dentistry students by themselves and went on to carry out my duty.

Then suddenly, three people dressed in white coat came barging in the Bleeding Room, and asked with a high-pitched angry tone saying: “Sino yung nambastos dito? Sino, sino ang nambastos?” I immediately approached them and asked who it was they were pertaining to. She did not answer my question, instead she called upon one her student named Paul and that student pointed at me. That was the time that these three people surrounded me. One was in front of me, the two other stayed on my left side. The one in front of me raised her voice asking me: “ Bakit mo sila tinanong ng ganon?...Anong karapatan mo para tanungin sila ng ganun?” Then I replied asking: “Anu po bay un?” The person in front of me reiterated that: “Tinanong mo daw sila kung bakit sila nandito… Wala kang karapatang tanungin sila.. di ka ba nagbasa ng guidelines before you entered this hospital. Anu pa yung sinasabi mo na matulog na lang sila, tama ba yun? Porque ba doctor ka at sila estudyante, minamaliit mo na lang sila?.. Didn’t you know that Dentistry is now being combined with Medicine?.. Nagbabayad sila dito kaya wala kang karapatan..” I tried defending by myself by saying: “ I did not belittle them, it was an honest question I asked, with no intention whatsoever of belittling them.. I was trying to make a conversation if they have been offended by it, they could have approached me in the first place, but they didn’t… They were joking to me and I too with them… Yes I read the guidelines and I’m aware of it. .. My Post Graduate Intern defended me by explaining that he was there and it was not intentional and that they were having a conversation. The person in front of me then said: “Ganun ka ba makipagkilala sa tao?” And I answered yes. The two other people on my left side were babbling words on me which I cannot remember anymore. Then I told them: “Alright, whatever it is that I said, it was unintentional, I did not in any way belittle or tried to belittle your students. I’m apologizing for my comment.” Then the person in front of me said: “Wag kang magsori sa kin, magsori ka sa kanila!” I turned to the students and in shame and lost of self-esteem, I was obliged to apologize. Then the person in front of me said: “Sa susunod, wag mo ng gagawin yan mambastos!” And they left the room just like that.

After the three people went out of the room, I then asked the Dentistry Students who told their Clinical Instructor about it. One of them named Paul admitted that he was the one, along with another student, who told their Clinical Instructor. I asked him on how I said it according to his own understanding. He said: “Hindi ako nagsumbong, nagtanong yung CI namin bakit nasa labas ako, and I told her everything.. Kasi yung manner ng pagtanong mo kanina, is mahina yung boses mo.” Then I replied: ”So anung mali kung mahina boses ko.. eh umagang-umaga yun... inaantok pa ko...di ba dapat mas maoffend ka kung tinaasan kita ng boses o tinarayan kita, which is hindi naman. If you have something against me or you have been offended by my words you could have told me right then and there“ From that moment, the students silenced themselves. There was nothing more I could do, I was embarrassed in front of many people, two patients, my intern and my co-clerk. The student named Paul then said in his most bragging tone: “Well sorry kung ganun yung pagkakaintindi namin sa sinabi mo, pero iba ang dating sakin”. It was an apology that was not even thought of, I kept my composure and respected them by not raising a single voice. One of them was nice enough to try talking to me and I answered back but I kept my distance, afraid that I might again be misconstrued. After that more students came in and I continued with my duty, when suddenly I saw them crowding the Blood Typing area and performing without my consent as if nothing happened. They didn’t hear anything from me though.

In line with the said incident, I would like to request from your good office to take appropriate actions. As a medical clerk in the process of training, I should have the desire to know every part of the system of our Institution. I always see to it that I give proper respect to all the people inside the hospital, whether be patients or our partners in the health service sector. I just felt so harassed, powerless, disrespected and mocked inside the Bleeding Room. I temporarily lost my self-esteem in the rash judgment and harsh remarks of the three people who are not my seniors in this hospital. I have not in any way harassed their interns for me to be warranted such harassment. From the 6 months that I have stayed in this institution, never have I mistreated people much more my fellow students. Clinical instructors in the wards, hemo-heart station and in the ER would even entrust me by imparting knowledge to their students who are interested to learn. If I belittled those students, I never should have not let them go inside the bleeding room or use the materials for blood typing. If I looked down on them, I never should’ve imparted my knowledge on how to approve or disapprove donors. I felt that my words were not put into the right context and was given malice by two students who did not know respect. I do not wish to malign those dentistry interns, there are a few of them who are eager enough to learn and somehow I felt at ease with them. My co-clerk was even told by one of the dentistry intern saying to him: “bakit kase maliit na bagay kailangan pang palakihin”. This only proves that what I said was nothing sort of an issue and should have not been given such treatment. It’s not a matter whether they are paying this institution for affiliation like what their CI said, but it is a matter of dignity, which they have stripped me off by by-passing my right to defend myself and be given the proper forum to discuss such an issue. My PGI wanted to stop me from apologizing, but I apologized nevertheless to them but I was not given any credit for it, not even the students who took my words and twisted it and juiced it for all its worth. I do not know what kind of intention those two dentistry interns have, but clearly what their Clinical Instructor and two other people from the dentistry department did was completely “power-tripping” and overt verbal harassment. If I let this pass, how many more Medical Clerks will have to suffer from this gross misconduct of some people in power who are supposed to show the meaning of well-thought actions and respect for other people.

Thank You very much! I really hope for your kind consideration regarding my appeal.

Godspeed!

Respectfully and Sincerely Yours,
Enrique C. Papa Jr.
Medical Clerk
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila