CABANATUAN CITY鈥擜 senior citizen, who was allegedly turned away by six hospitals, was buried on Tuesday (April 14), after dying without treatment on Good Friday (April 10).
The family of Ladislao Corrales now wants justice. 鈥淗e was in agony,鈥� said Corrales鈥� 42-year-old daughter, Girlie Cagaoan, of Sta Arcadia village.
Corrales had difficulty breathing so he was driven out by a village patrol vehicle on the night of April 9, Maundy Thursday. But they had to drive from one hospital after another, Corrales鈥� family said.
Corrales remained inside the vehicle each time Cagaoan鈥檚 husband, Arnold, and a village watchman, attempted to convince medical workers to take him in. 鈥淭hey did nothing for him,鈥� Cagaoan said.
In some hospitals, a nurse or employee stepped outside to inform Corrales that there was no room for him, Cagaoan said. One hospital was harsher because an employee simply shooed them away, gesturing that the facility had no vacancy, she added.
The family proceeded to the emergency room of a hospital but none of the nurses and doctors paid them any attention.
鈥淭hey just stood there, wearing their personnel protective equipment suits but no one moved forward to examine my father-in-law,鈥� Arnold said.
Dejected, they brought Corrales home. He died at 1 a.m. on April 10.
Harol Sicat, Corrales鈥� nephew, posted the family鈥檚 sentiment on Facebook, drawing the attention of former Board Member Jay Ilagan, and Sen. Lawrence Christopher 鈥淏ong鈥� Go who paid for the funeral.
President Rodrigo Duterte had warned hospitals that they face charges if they turned patients away.