Was Weekend Death at San Ignacio Hospital Due to Negligence?

Manuel Manzanero

A thirty-eight-year-old man died at the San Ignacio Hospital’s Accident and Emergency ward on Sunday night. Initial reports were that Calcutta resident, Manuel Manzanero was awaiting treatment when he collapsed and died outside the ward. Those reports brought the hospital under heavy scrutiny, because it would mean that a patient in critical condition was not provided with timely treatment.  Well, the Ministry of Health and Wellness refutes those claims. According to Doctor Jorge Polanco, the Director of Hospital Services and Allied Health, Manzanero was being attended to by a physician when he collapsed. He says that Manzanero was a hypertensive patient who was experiencing a bout of hypertensive crisis. According to Doctor Polanco, the physicians on duty made every attempt to resuscitate Manzanero after he collapsed.

Dr. Jorge Polanco

Dr. Jorge Polanco, Director of Hospital Services and Allied Health, MoHW

“It was noted he had he had a pressure of one hundred and fifty over a hundred and twenty which indeed is compatible with a hypertensive crisis, considering that he also had a chest pain. He was given a medication at the moment and was told to sit down there and rest which he did. Around fifteen minutes afterwards he expressed that he was feeling better and he asked to go to the bathroom. He went on his own walking expressing that he felt quite ok. He also shared with the staff that he was a hypertensive patient and he had not been taking his medication. He referred that he had taken some exotic drink in the afternoon. I just mention this because this was a part of the history, information he provided. He mentioned this. When he returned from the bathroom he expressed that he was again starting to feel uneasy, not feeling well. it was the time when it was scheduled to test him again, to take his vitals. While his pressure was being taken again he collapsed. The physician on call immediately moved him, putting him to the trauma area and noticing his state of conscienceless they began to resuscitate him. Another physician was called that was working in another ward. They tried to bring him back, but it was not successful.”