Bulacan Medical Center cleared on ‘chop-chop’ leg

The BMC administrator said that it is standard operating procedure to turn over amputated body parts to the family of patients. (Pixabay photo)

CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan— The Provincial Investigation Branch of the Bulacan Police Provincial Office has cleared the management of the Bulacan Medical Center of any responsibility over the amputated foot of a patient which was left inside a box found at a construction site in the capitol compound here by a son of a male diabetic patient last Friday night.

The discovery of the amputated left foot, which was properly sealed in a black garbage bag inside a carton box, stirred controversy on social media after some netizens made wrong comments that it was the leg of a “chop-chop” victim without checking the facts first before posting it on Facebook, police probers said.

Investigators later found out that the amputated left leg belonged to diabetic patient identified as Gregorio Evangelista, 68, married, a resident of Barangay Iba in  Meycauyan City, Bulacan. He is now recuperating at the Intensive Care Unit of BMC, according to hospital administrator Leticia Hilario.

Based on the statement of BMC nurses Raysie Garcia and Luigene Gumafelix, Evangelista underwent surgery wherein his left foot was surgically removed because of his diabetes last Friday afternoon.

The nurses said the operation was done by Dr. Benjamin Inoturan around 2:15 Friday afternoon and was finished around 6 p.m. the same day.

They told investigators that the amputated foot was properly turned over to the wife of the patient identified as Mercedez Evangelista, for burial.

The BMC administrator said that it is standard operating procedure to turn over amputated body parts to the family of patients.

Hilario also explained that nurses on duty explained to Mercedes the proper procedures and that the amputated foot should be buried. The nurses also presented copies of the receipt of turnover and certificate of confinement of the patient.

In a sworn statement, the wife of the patient told investigators that she gave the box containing the amputated leg to her 34-year-old son Ivan and instructed him to bring it to his elder brother Paul to be buried.

Mercedes also told investigators that her son Ivan, who is working as a call center agent, left BMC with the box containing the amputated foot of her husband at past 10 p.m. Friday.

She added that she did not know her son left the amputated foot at the construction site in the capitol compound. She further claimed that she could not locate Ivan.

The amputated left foot was later brought to Superior Homes in Barangay Bintog, Plaridel town.

Police investigators said that the body part was no longer the responsibility of hospital management as it had been turned over to the family of the patient.