After the laughter,
the music

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The Office of the Ombudsman has concluded its investigation into the infamous operation room scandal that has left a stigma on the reputation of the medical profession in this country. It has announced that it is filing charges against the doctors and the staff assisting at the surgery involving a gay patient in Cebu from whose body they had to extract a canister.

As investigations, both by the Ombudsman and the Department of Health, have shown, the operation was successful, but the patient must be feeling that it would been better if he had died, if he could have avoided the humiliation and the shame from the act of the doctors, to whom he had entrusted his life and well-being. This is because the surgical team had obviously allowed, perhaps even invited, other doctors and nurses to witness the operation. And all of those present cheered, laughed and roared with amusement as it was going on, especially when the foreign body was finally extracted.

The behavior of the attending surgeons and other medical staff was bad enough. What was far worse was that one of them, or maybe some of them, had taken footages of the entire proceedings and later made the whole thing available to the public by releasing the tape to the YouTube.

The discovery shocked, not only their fellow medical practitioners, but even the ordinary citizen who could not believe such a despicable thing could be done by professionals supposed to be imbued with the highest standards of ethics.

The outcry over the case and the ensuing probe succeeded in identifying the people within that operating room, which must not have been very difficult, since they were featured in the video footage. So now the Ombudsman in filing charges against those involved for violations of the Code of Ethics of Medical Practitioners, the Code of Ethics for Public Officials and Employees, and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Those are aside from the suits to be brought against them by the victim in the courts of law. The time to face the music has come after the show.

The exposure and the humiliation they, too, will suffer, on top of the possible penalties that may be meted to them, will probably be harsh. But this has to be done, if only to drive home to all practitioners, whatever their profession, that ethics and respect for the dignity of the human being should always be paramount.*