After the first part of this series, many victims came to us to validate what we wrote about finding a medical center that didn’t demand a deposit.

Here now to continue we have a victim we will only call Ms. Sharon for her privacy. Ms. Sharon went to Medical Center Muntinlupa since it was very close to her home after coordinating with surgeon Dr. Mac who suspected her severe pain was acute appendicitis.

In the emergency room, she was told by Dr. Mac to undergo a CT Scan to confirm his diagnosis. After a long agonizing day-long wait since the technician was nowhere to be found, the CT Scan was finally performed.

But after a hospital staffer injected her with some water and other fluids, her left hand swelled to what seemed like 100 times its original size and became paralyzed, with the patient crying out in excruciating pain. According to Ms. Sharon, who up to now is in pain, and her daughter, no one attended to her despite their pleas for help. Dr. Mac then proceeded with the surgery.

(To be continued)

Whistle-blower faces cyber libel case

Due to its urgency, The Bridge will dwell on this separate subject. Cyber libel, or online defamation, transpires when false declarations are disseminated, causing harm to a person’s or entity’s reputation.

In this regard, Dr. Tony Leachon, a well-known health advocate, has been charged with cyber libel by Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc. before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for allegedly spreading malicious, reckless, and baseless accusations online and accusing Bell-Kenz of being involved in unethical practices, including offering lavish incentives to doctors to prescribe their medications.

Dr. Leachon claimed he was provided the information by “whistleblowers” who corroborated the information. With this admission, Bell-Kenz said it “is clear that it is hearsay where he does not have sufficient evidence to support his claims. It appears that he lacks first-hand information regarding his allegations against Bell-Kenz Pharma.”

In the cyber libel case, Bell-Kenz’s lawyer, Joseph Vincent Go, said “Leachon’s allegations are baseless and the attacks resulted in the damaged reputation of a trustworthy pharmaceutical company. Aside from that, it has also resulted in damaging the reputations of the doctors who prefer to prescribe Bell-Kenz’s drugs which are, in fact, 30 percent cheaper than others. Bell-Kenz is determined to protect its integrity and is reportedly preparing additional cases against Dr. Leachon.”

Attorney Go stressed: “We are willing to face any Senate or other government health regulatory bodies’ investigation, under a fair treatment scenario, with a request to the NBI “to remove the alleged damaging posts on social media made by the doctor.” They believe the allegations made by Dr. Leachon against Bell-Kenz carry weight, given his prominent standing in the health community.

One of Dr. Leachon’s serious allegations against Bell-Kenz is that it is involved in multi-level marketing and pyramid schemes, but it appears, per the accuser, that this may be unfounded. Unlike typical MLM and pyramid schemes that focus on recruitment, Bell-Kenz primarily sells pharmaceutical products and does not rely on recruitment-based incentives.

On the issue of giving extravagant gifts to doctors such as trips abroad and expensive items, “we can say that this is an old issue. While this kind of behavior is considered unethical, we cannot deny that not only Bell-Kenz but other pharmaceutical companies also engage in it. If Bell-Kenz is accused of such practices, the Senate should investigate not only it but the entire pharmaceutical industry.”

Dr. Leachon asserted that Bell-Kenz was owned by doctors. Bell-Kenz argued “that it is public knowledge that hospitals, testing centers, drugstores, and similar entities are commonly owned by medical professionals. Why single us out? Could it be that this well-established company stands out for its wide range of effective medications, rendering it a top choice among numerous healthcare practitioners?”

We’ll hear from Dr. Leachon next for fairness.

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