Disrespectful, unaccommodating, and rude—these were but some of the words students chose to describe the clinic staff of the Health Services Office (HSO) after becoming the subject of several scathing posts on the DLSU Freedom Wall last December.
The office, which is under the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Services (OAVCCS), aims to provide the Lasallian community with quality health care aids and raise awareness on proper health practices. Its main clinic, located at the ground floor of Br. Connon Hall, has been the target of ridicule as students complained of alleged mistreatment and aggression from the staff and doctors.
As of press time, the HSO Director and the clinic staff have declined to give a statement on the matter. Meanwhile, the OAVCCS head could not be reached for an interview.
Unpleasant services
Patricia Callo (III, AB-OSDM) shares that her experience with the clinic has been unpleasant for most of her stay in the University. She recalls a time when she and her friends went to the HSO to inquire about their medical certificate in preparation for a trip.
“When we asked when we could claim the said forms, [the nurse] raised an eyebrow, spoke in a rough and sarcastic manner, to which she told us in verbatim, ‘Aba! Ewan ko! Bumalik na lang kasi kayo!’,” she recounts.
(‘I don’t know! Just come back!’)
That was not the last time she saw the nurse, as Callo encountered her again in another visit due to a stomach ache as she needed some medicine. While being assisted, she was met with the very same sarcastic and rude demeanor during her stay.
Another student, Benjamin*, states that he had a similar experience with the clinic. He often drops by the clinic both for help and for approval of his medical certificates as he admits that he is a “sickly person.”
Upon returning to the University after being absent for a week, he presented his medical certificate to the staff, only to be met with skepticism and accusations of him faking both his certificate and his absences due to not being formally admitted to the hospital.
In a separate event, he brought his friend, who was experiencing suicidal thoughts, to the clinic because nobody was present in the Office of Counseling and Career Services. When they asked for assistance, Benjamin’s friend was allegedly turned away and accused of faking his condition.
Benjamin says that most of his encounters with the clinic have given him anxiety to visit, to the point where he feels immense anger when passing by it. He also states that his previous treatments make him feel like he is not allowed to get sick, adding that, “I told myself I’d really just die rather than go back [to the clinic].”
Already having a medical history with the clinic, Clarice* still finds herself being questioned during her visitations. Sometimes, she narrates, she is brushed away due to their distrust of her, other times she finds herself being made to wait in order to be accommodated for treatment.
Another time, she had a cut and was attended to by a nurse. After being told to wash her cut, she came back to find a different nurse attending to her. Explaining her cut to the new nurse, a gauze was placed on her wound, which seemed to be insufficient, as blood continued to flow. The nurse, after applying three more gauzes and heavy amounts of cream, sent Clarice off even as her wound continued to bleed heavily.
For others, the clinic staff’s manner of dealing with students had longer lasting consequences. Paul*, a fifth year student, recalls failing one of his classes due to absences because the doctor—who he claims has since resigned from the University—refused to authenticate his medical certificate and even accused him of faking the document.
Paul narrates that he tried to politely argue with the employee and even asked his father to help him prove that his certificate was genuine, but to his surprise, the doctor replied, “[Because] you stressed me out this morning, I will forward your case to the [disciplinary officer].” However, two terms after the incident, the Student Discipline Formation Office eventually dismissed the case, as he claims that the office’s investigations did not find sufficient evidence to prove the document was fake.
A mixed bag
While the aforementioned students recall their negative experiences with the staff of the main HSO clinic, they are also able to provide some positive moments during their stay. Clarice says that her general experience with the clinic has been a mix of both positive and negative, citing that she usually finds herself being attended to at a faster rate when she experiences stomach aches.
Certain staff members are also notably nicer and more considerate than others, Benjamin argues. He recalls his encounter with accommodating male staffers who attended to their patients’ needs. Meanwhile, Callo adds that her experience with the clinic’s dentist has been pleasant.
While farther, the people manning the clinic in the Enrique Razon Sports Complex are regarded by Clarice as more accommodating compared to those stationed in the main clinic when it comes to her grievances and inquiries.
Such feedback is nothing new. An article published by The LaSallian in November 2017 also gathered student complaints about alleged misconduct. However, some students were also quick to give praise to the convenient services provided.
Possible repercussions
Although Paul admitted that he did not consider filing a formal complaint himself, he believes the students who made allegations against the clinic should file grievances.
Section 6.5 of the Student Handbook, which covers student grievance cases against other members of the academic community, has provisions for filing complaints against co-academic personnel, which include nurses. Should students want to raise their concern, they must submit a formal letter of complaint to the Human Resource Development Office.
The Administrative and Professional Service Personnel Manual, meanwhile, which covers the physicians and doctors, has guidelines for offenses and sanctions, including negligence in ensuring the safety of members of the academic community. Sanctions can range from issuing a warning to the termination of the individual. Procedures in handling complaints against personnel are also outlined in the manual, which are initially processed by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
Sudden empowerment
When posts surfaced online and rose in number, Callo shares that she felt willing to share her experiences. “What made it shocking was I also thought that it was not only me who experienced the cruelty and discrimination,” she explains.
Benjamin agrees with Callo’s sentiments, citing that he felt empowered after seeing the reactions online, stating that “That’s why I never spoke up or anything. But when I saw the comments, I was empowered to speak up in a way because now, I know it’s not just me.”
*Names were changed for anonymity.
