Jessie Bass: Medical Risks vs. Rewards
Many have responded to “The Story of Jessie Bass”. One was a blind email from Mr. Rene Rava of Quezon City who said: “Jessie's death is a senseless one. These things could have been avoided.” Jessie’s family also thought it could have been avoided. They demanded an assurance from St. Luke’s that his death be the first and the last on the gantry of their modern 64 Slice CT Scan equipment. St. Luke’s, however, continued to claim no responsibility on the death of Jessie Bass. They said “Severe reactions requiring aggressive treatment…is only 0.04%... Fatal reactions are exceedingly rare…” The impression was that Jessie Bass, unfortunately, was on the wrong side of the statistics.
It was risks versus rewards for Jessie who was the most senior Filipino officer at Marubeni, Philippines. As a businessman, he too learned that “higher risks: higher returns”. When he came into the hospital complaining of stomach pains, he really just wanted to be relieved of his pains. But I suppose, he had no choice but to literally hand over his life entirely to his attending physician, Dr. Edgardo M. Bondoc, or to St. Luke’s Medical Center, with its cadre of experts, for that matter. After all, it was their accepted responsibility to know, to cure and to save lives. They have the training, the experience and the most modern medical equipment to exactly pinpoint and diagnose one’s condition. While Jessie was being sent home, he asked Dr. Bondoc if he could be confined instead - since his family was abroad. Dr. Bondoc confessed he promised him: “I’ll take care of you”.
This was Jessie’s personal conviction. He had so much faith in this “World Class” institution, which unfortunately failed to avert possible allergic reaction even given more than 12 hours he waited for an emergency CT Scan, which of all hours was conducted at 12 mid-night. There was a lot of time to have reinforced the initial diagnosis of appendicitis, to do further clinical tests and to confirm that his family did have a history of allergies.
The ordeal then started after confinement. As Korina Sanchez said, “Little did he know that he was walking to his death.” If I were Jessie, I would have asked why I had to sign a waiver before I could undergo a CT scan. What was I waiving? Was I agreeing that no matter what happened to me, the online pharmacy, the medical staff, and the hospital were not at fault? All risks then were on me, as the patient, even though it was a doctor and a hospital induced contrast dye. But, this dye was not even a medicine to cure my illness. It was to help the doctor and the hospital to know more about my condition! How legally strong then is a hospital-crafted waiver form to completely absolve it, and/or its staff, especially if it caused harm, or worse, the life of a person?
If I were Jessie and it was clearly explained to me that there was a risk I might die from severe allergic reactions to this contrast dye, I would have asked if both the dye and the CT scan were needed in the first place. After all, did not my attending physician previously diagnose it as acute appendicitis? What added value would more information be? Can a CT Scan detect and rule out infectious deceases, as Dr. Bondoc wanted? If the doctor laid out the cards on Jessie, clearly giving a picture of risks and rewards; I am sure Jessie would have opted to immediately be cut up for appendicitis, which other doctors say is a 20 minute procedure.
I wonder if issues of risks and rewards are discussed at the level of the Board of Trustees and Board of Advisers of St. Luke’s Medical Center. Are they, in fact, willing to take risks of fatal reactions even as small as 4 out of 10,000 among their CT Scan patients? Rather, would they not maintain the position that life should be preserved at all costs especially under an improved protocol? What value should hospitals, especially non-profit, non-stock medical centers give life?
Many have agreed with Rene Rava. Jessie's death was a senseless one. The CT Scan was an unnecessary procedure. This lapse of judgment could have been avoided. At the least, the CT Scan protocol should have been tighter under the direct supervision of experienced medical personnel.
See Korina Sanchez on Jessie Bass -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mYcpx_bUBHk
NOTE: Please share and email Jessie.vbass@yahoo.com if you, your relatives or friends have a similar experience with St. Luke’s Medical Center, its doctors and staff, or with other hospitals and medical practitioners in the Philippines.