GENERAL SANTOS CITY? Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao slammed a local hospital here for refusing to treat his ailing relative who failed to raise the P50,000 downpayment needed for the patient?s medical treatment.
Pacquiao said he will file charges against the management of the General Santos City Doctor?s Hospital after the patient, Armando Jamora, 22, a cousin of Pacquiao?s wife Jinky Jamora, died last Friday while suffering from severe fever and convulsion.
?My lawyers are now preparing to file charges against the hospital management for malpractices,? Pacquiao told reporters here over the weekend.
The hospital allegedly refused to treat Jamora, a resident of Kiamba, Sarangani, when the family failed to raised the P50,000 being asked by the hospital as downpayment.
The patient?s relatives was only able to raise P30,000 and promised to pay the balance later but the hospital did not heed to their plea.
Pacquiao?s father-in-law, Ernesto Jamora even tried to persuade the hospital management to give them consideration since the patient is considered relative of Pacquiao.
?They refused to believe that the patient was my relative [by affinity],? Pacquiao said in Bisayan, adding that he will ask the city council to investigate the incident since there were purportedly similar cases involving the same hospital in the past. ?If they can do this to us, what more to those who have no money and are unknown.?
Hospital official Gina Saoru refused to comment when asked by local journalists.
Last month, relatives of two children who were admitted to the hospital for almost five months, picketed in front of the hospital to demand the release of the patients who were detained for failing to pay their hospital bills.
