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Please provide advice on the steps we can take to help defray the hospital bill of my cousin, who had a seizure right at his workplace.
My 32 year-old cousin was active and healthy (until his seizure at his workplace). He participated in mountain climbing with this friends. He is employed by a BPO in Eastwood, Libis, working the night shift. He has HMO coverage amounting to a limit of P150,000.
On Wednesday, January 14, his day-off, he went to a dentist to have his two molars extracted. On Thursday, January 15, despite having a fever and mild headache probably due to the tooth extraction (although he took antibiotics prescribed by his dentist), he still reported for duty. Anybody here who knows somebody working in BPOs knows that getting a sick leave approved is difficult; you have to have a doctor's certificate and all. On Friday, January 16, he felt worse: he had chills, high fever and severe headache, but he still insisted on going to the office. In fact, even while preparing to go to work, he told his partner to look into him in the bathroom if he did not come out for a long time. During his shift, he also went to their company nurse, who gave him medicine for vertigo.
On Saturday, January 16, despite feeling ill, he still reported for duty. Barely 1 hour into his shift, at around 7:55PM, he had a seizure. Colleagues saw him draw a rasping breath before his face and lips turned blue. They called the office nurse, who arrived around 2 minutes later, and performed CPR non-stop until they arrived at Medical City ER about 15 minutes later. At the ER, efforts to revive him continued until pulse was restored 17 minutes after arriving. He was in a coma for one week at the ICU. Today (January 31) is exactly 2 weeks after the event. Although he is already conscious, he is still at the ICU. Various complications arose, including pneumonia and kidney infection.
As relayed to us by his sister, the doctors found that he has elevated tyhroid hormones (T3 and T4), which caused his high BP. When we researched the internet, I found that this condition is called Thyroid Storm, where any hyperthyroid person is at risk of experiencing if exposed to stress and infection.
Predictably, his hospital bills are already nearing P1 million (and still increasing), net of his HMO coverage of P150,000.
The patient's sister, who is also employed by the same BPO, talked to the BPO's HR, but they said that what they can extend is continued salary until February 13, since the company has already paid for the HMO.
Can we still insist on making them shoulder the hospital bills? Can we go to the NLRC on this matter?
Thanks for your advice.
My 32 year-old cousin was active and healthy (until his seizure at his workplace). He participated in mountain climbing with this friends. He is employed by a BPO in Eastwood, Libis, working the night shift. He has HMO coverage amounting to a limit of P150,000.
On Wednesday, January 14, his day-off, he went to a dentist to have his two molars extracted. On Thursday, January 15, despite having a fever and mild headache probably due to the tooth extraction (although he took antibiotics prescribed by his dentist), he still reported for duty. Anybody here who knows somebody working in BPOs knows that getting a sick leave approved is difficult; you have to have a doctor's certificate and all. On Friday, January 16, he felt worse: he had chills, high fever and severe headache, but he still insisted on going to the office. In fact, even while preparing to go to work, he told his partner to look into him in the bathroom if he did not come out for a long time. During his shift, he also went to their company nurse, who gave him medicine for vertigo.
On Saturday, January 16, despite feeling ill, he still reported for duty. Barely 1 hour into his shift, at around 7:55PM, he had a seizure. Colleagues saw him draw a rasping breath before his face and lips turned blue. They called the office nurse, who arrived around 2 minutes later, and performed CPR non-stop until they arrived at Medical City ER about 15 minutes later. At the ER, efforts to revive him continued until pulse was restored 17 minutes after arriving. He was in a coma for one week at the ICU. Today (January 31) is exactly 2 weeks after the event. Although he is already conscious, he is still at the ICU. Various complications arose, including pneumonia and kidney infection.
As relayed to us by his sister, the doctors found that he has elevated tyhroid hormones (T3 and T4), which caused his high BP. When we researched the internet, I found that this condition is called Thyroid Storm, where any hyperthyroid person is at risk of experiencing if exposed to stress and infection.
Predictably, his hospital bills are already nearing P1 million (and still increasing), net of his HMO coverage of P150,000.
The patient's sister, who is also employed by the same BPO, talked to the BPO's HR, but they said that what they can extend is continued salary until February 13, since the company has already paid for the HMO.
Can we still insist on making them shoulder the hospital bills? Can we go to the NLRC on this matter?
Thanks for your advice.
