No fake doctor at R1MC – Mejia

Dr. Roland Mejia of the Region I Medical Center in Dagupan City gives media men a brief tour of the construction phase of the hospital's new emergency room which is touted to be the biggest in North Luzon. His team has organized the Emergency Room in such a way that time element is brought into consideration. (JCR/Photo by Venus Sarmiento - PIA 1 Pangasinan)

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The director of the Region-1 Medical Center vehemently denied that the government hospital is coddling a fake medical doctor.
Dr. Roland Mejia said R1MC and other medical centers in the country which are under the supervision of the Department of Health have no fake doctors in their midst.
“Kasi kung titingnan niyo iyang mga clinician ko, iyong mga resident doctors, lahat iyan may mga eligibility. That is misleading na sinasabi nila may fake doctor,” he stressed.
Mejia reacted to the accusation against the management of the R1MC that a certain Dr. Rodney Mendoza, brother of retired Police Chief Supt. Boggie Mendoza, was allowed to practice medicine despite being sacked from the provincial hospital in San Carlos City. Mendoza was discovered to be using a fake medical doctor’s license from the Philippine Regulatory Commission.
“Iyong position ni Dr. Mendoza is program coordinator. Ibig sabihin noon nasa treatment and rehabilitation center siya. Ang trabaho po niya nakikipag-coordinate sa mga local executives, mayor, councilor doon sa mga non-government organization na ang trabaho ay advocate against illegal drugs. Iyong mga barangay health workers natin kasi nag-ti-training sila ng mga ta-o ipinaliliwanag nila iyong mga issue tungkol sa drug addiction. Hindi lang sa drug kung hindi substance abuse. In simple terms iyong trabaho niya parang social worker,” Mejia explained.
He said any state doctor who submitted his documents can be double-checked if their documents are bogus or not by hospital management in six months.
Mejia said the non-inclusion of Mendoza in the list of Civil Service Commission workers was due to his being a contractual worker.
“Wala hong records si Dr. Mendoza sa CSC- R1MC because Dr. Mendoza is under job order. Contractual po. And contractual are not sanctioned by CSC kasi iyong suweldo nila ay savings ng ospital, direkto sa Maintainance & Operating Other Expenses.”
Mejia said R1MC was caught in the crossfire between the quarrel of a Dr. Karlo Orduña and Mendoza who are relatives and residents of Bugallon town.
A week before Mendoza was accused to be a fake doctor, Orduña complained in the media that a relative has hired an assassin to kill him for P200 thousand.
Orduna and Mendoza used to be colleagues at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City.
Mejia warned the management of the PPH against exposing a member of the R1MC. He said they should first get rid of the long array of private drug stores that sprouted like mushrooms at the peripheries of PPH.
“Kung bilangin ninyo iyong sa harap malalaman ninyo kung sino ang may ari. I brought this out kasi nagkaka-problema ang government lalo na ang Department of Health. Yong pasyenteng na-admit duon ang mag-aabono sa excess sa PhilHealth,” he said.
He said he pitied the poor patients at the provincial hospital because they pay for their medicines.