CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan — The Provincial Investigation Branch of the Bulacan Police Provincial Office has cleared officials of the Bulacan Medical Center of any responsibility over the amputated foot of a patient which was left inside a box at a construction site near the Capitol compound here by a son of 68 year old male diabetic patient last Friday night.
The discovery of the amputated left foot, which was properly sealed in a black garbage bag inside a carton box, stirred controversy on social media after some netizens made wrong comments that it was the leg of a “chop-chop” victim without checking the correct facts first before posting it on Facebook, police probers said.
Investigators later found out the amputated left leg belongs to diabetic patient Gregorio Evangelista, 68, married, resident of Bgy. Iba, City of Meycauyan , Bulacan. He is now recuperating at the Intensive Care Unit of BMC, according to hospital administrator Leticia Hilario.
Based on the statement of BMC nurses Raysie Garcia and Luigene Gumafelix, Evangelista underwent surgery wherein his left foot was surgically sawed-off due to diabetes last Friday afternoon .
The duty nurses said that the operation was done by Dr. Benjamin Inoturan at around 2:15 Friday afternoon and was finished at about 6:00 pm of the same day.
They told investigators that the amputated foot was properly turned over to the wife of the patient who was identified as Mercedez Evangelista for burial.
BMC administrator said that it Standard Operating Procedure to turn over amputated body parts to relatives of patients. Hilario also explained that duty nurses have explained to the wife of the patient the proper procedures and that the amputated foot should be buried. The nurses also presented copies of the receipt of turn-over and certificate of confinement of the patient.
In a sworn statement, the wife of the patient told investigators that she gave the box containing the amputated leg to her 34 years old son IVAN and instructed to bring it to his elder brother Paul and buried it.
The patient’s wife also told investigators that her son Ivan, who is working as a call center agent, left BMC with the box containing the amputated foot of her husband at past 10: 00 pm Friday.
She added that she did not know that her son left the amputated foot at the construction site at the capitol compound. She further claimed that she can not locate Ivan.
The amputated left foot was later brought to Superior Homes in Bgy. Bintog, Palridel town.
Police investigators said that it was no longer the responsibility of hospital management after they turned over the amputated body part and explained the right procedures in burying it to relatives of the patient. –EMIL G. GAMOS