Family of dengue patient, 7, decries poor public healthcare system.
A 7-year-old girl who contracted dengue arrived at the Quezon City General Hospital with a 41°C fever, was already hallucinating, having difficulty breathing, and suffering from diarrhea. However, her family said there was nowhere for her to lie down because the hospital was full and “could not provide” basic beds.
The girl’s aunt, Norhainah Lomodag, took to Facebook to vent her frustration after her sister brought the child to the hospital, describing how the family waited despairingly while the girl was in severe discomfort.
“Itong pamangkin ko na dinala ng sister ko nang 8 p.m sa QCGH, hanggang ngayon (11 p.m.) nakaupo pa rin dito!” Lomodag said.
Lomodag acknowledged that hospitals have to prioritize patients according to the urgency of their conditions, but questioned how families are supposed to cope when public facilities do not have enough beds for patients who need them.
“Mga hayop na kurakot ng Pilipinas! Nagbabayad kami ng government taxes na yan! Kahit man lang sa healthcare ng mga Pilipino, hindi kayo bumawi?” she added in her post.
In an exclusive message to radar Business, Lomodag said her niece was doing well a day after the incident.
The experience was also difficult for the child herself, who reportedly had become afraid of hospitals because of a previous experience at Rosario Maclang General Hospital in Quezon City.
“‘Yung pamangkin ko na ‘yan, ayaw na niyan magpunta sa hospital at takot na takot na ‘yan pag naririnig niyang dadalhin siya sa ospital,” she added.
Lomodag recalled another night when the child had a 39.5°C fever but, amid the number of patients at the hospital, the family felt they were not being attended to quickly enough, forcing them to leave and seek care elsewhere.
“Sobrang nagalit ako lalo kasi sobrang namumula na ang mata ng anak ko. Nakita ko na nasa labas siya, naglalakad-lakad. Sa isip ko, t*ngina niyo, hindi kayo marunong mag-asikaso ng pasyente,” the mother of the child said.
The experiences have left Lomodag asking the government to make healthcare a greater priority so Filipino families do not feel that they have to turn to private hospitals just to receive timely care.
“Hanggang kailan po magmamakaawa ang mga Pilipino na maging maayos ang pamamalakad ng pamahalaan natin? Hanggang kailan ba namin titiisin ang ganitong serbisyo na dapat hindi na i-beg pa sa kanila?” she told radar Business.
The country’s public healthcare system is plagued by hospitals struggling with overcrowding and limited capacity.
A recent Philippine Institute for Development Studies analysis found that median bed occupancy in public hospitals exceeded 100% from 2017 to 2019, while occupancy remained above 89% across public hospital levels in 2022.
radar Business has reached out to Quezon City General Hospital for comments, but has not received a reply as of writing.
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