|
Democratic
Space
Three
days, too long for simple cataract surgery
Erap
desperate to skirt trial
The
independent watchdog Plunder Watch today dubbed as “overboard” ousted
President Estrada’s motion for a three-day leave for cataract-extraction
surgery.
Citing statements by physicians’ groups Code Red for Good Governance (Code
Red) and Health Alliance for Democracy, Plunder Watch said that
“cataract-extraction has become a regular out-patient operation in the
Philippine General Hospital and other government hospitals and lasts a mere 30
minutes to one hour.”
“Cataract-extraction needs no hospitalization. Ask Nanay Mameng who recently
had the same surgery. She was up and alert in no time,” said Dr. Jojo Carabeo,
convenor of Plunder Watch.
“It is obvious that the Estrada camp is only utilizing the ousted
president’s unhealthy conditions brought about by his flamboyant lifestyle
just to drag the plunder trial,” said Carabeo.
Carabeo said that the three-day leave asked by Estrada should be rejected,
suggesting that “Estrada would do the nation a favor by having the
cataract-extraction operation on any day wherein he is not supposed to attend
the Sandiganbayan trials.”
“The medical ploy is an insult to excellent Filipino doctors,” said Carabeo.
At the same time, the activist doctor pointed out that the treatment or surgery
of Estrada’s osteoarthritic knee may be done in the Philippines.
Carabeo revealed that diagnostic asthroscopy, a minor surgical operation to look
into the knee joint, and even knee-joint replacement are already being done
successfully at the Philippine Orthopedic Hospital.
“A US-based orthopedic surgeon has also set up the Philippine Orthopedic
Institute which produced its own knee and other joint prosthesis in Laguna,”
Carabeo clarified.
“If Estrada goes to the US, the money he will spend would be equal to the
annual budget of the Philippine Orthopedic Hospital,” he added.
November
24, 2001
We
want to know what you think of this article.
|