Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday said the Department of Health already has existing guidelines for medical missions.

Before they can attend to patients, Marañon said, medical mission now have to get permits from the DOH.

The governor also said he is not in favor of completely stopping medical missions because people benefit from them. He said they not only provide services but bring medicines and equipment, too.

These missions come to help people and they, too, do not want to see patients die, he said.

Marañon was reacting to the statement of Philip Pecache, National Bureau of Investigation Bacolod chief, that the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office, in coordination with the Department of Health, should come out with guidelines on how to deal with medical missions, considering that two incidents of deaths involving them have occurred lately.

Pecache was referring to the deaths of two patients after operations conducted during medical missions at the Bago District Hospital, one of which involved a patient of a Marie Stopes medical mission last year, and the latest involving a Canadian medical mission.*CPG

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