Earlier this month, Ms. Fely Viloria Sicam wrote an opinion piece (titled "Are resident doctors really doctors?") in her column "Loud Whispers" in the Mindanao Times.
Dear Ms. Sicam,
I know of you only through the op-eds you wrote recently about nurses and resident doctors in our poorly equipped and understaffed government hospitals. I also read your letter to the editor about the vitriolic reaction to your articles and your wondering why there was no reaction posted on your FB account. I think the answer is simple. When I searched for "Fely Sicam" and "Fely Viloria Sicam" on FB, your FB account did not show up. I was only able to find your FB account after doing more research and finding out your full first name is "Felicitas". That said, you can easily see the various posts reacting to your articles by searching in FB for "Fely Viloria Sicam".
If you are truly the journalist you claim to be, you should not be overly dismayed by the reactions to your articles. You wrote a public opinion; you should be willing to accept any and all reactions, good or bad, to what you wrote. (Objectively though, you really should have done better research and used impeccable English, particularly since you commented on the non-use of English by the ER staff.)
Also, it seems that the Mindanao Times has removed your articles (at least those we are talking about) and your letter to the editor from its website. If this was intentional, then there is little to be said about the transparency and fearless journalism of that media outlet. That is of little consequence though, as photos of your articles and letter have already made their way into social media, immortalizing your words on the Internet.
If I were you, I would insist that the op-eds be returned by the Mindanao Times to its website, as you do bring to light the dismal condition of our government hospitals, which really do need much improvement. In the bigger scheme of things, it is this systemic problem that needs to be fixed. As to the "inaccuracies" in your articles, a public apology may be necessary, but this is merely my suggestion.
Sincerely,
Ulysses Dorotheo, MD, FPAO
Ms. Sicam's article and her subsequent letter to the editor after reading about the various negative reactions to her piece have (as of this writing) been taken off the Mindanao Times website, but photos of the printed versions are available on various Facebook posts and on blogs such as this: http://heavenpurgatoryandhell.blogspot.com/2015/07/dear-ate-fely.html
A respectful response from a colleague and friend, Dr. Adrian Paul Rabe, was published by Rappler: http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/ispeak/100143-open-letter-resident-doctors
Other responses of other doctors are easily found on Facebook and elsewhere with the right search keywords.
As a UP-PGH alumnus, I am acutely aware of many of the difficulties that resident physicians face each day. While I share the outrage of my medical colleagues because of the inaccuracies stated by Ms. Sicam, she does help raise awareness of the poor conditions of our public/government health facilities and the urgent need to improve them. Indeed, as some colleagues have suggested, it should be mandatory for government officials (particularly the President, Vice-President, cabinet secretaries, senators and congressmen, and members of the judiciary) to consult, be treated, and/or confined only at government hospitals.
After a bit of research, I found Ms. Sicam's FB account and sent her this message:
I know of you only through the op-eds you wrote recently about nurses and resident doctors in our poorly equipped and understaffed government hospitals. I also read your letter to the editor about the vitriolic reaction to your articles and your wondering why there was no reaction posted on your FB account. I think the answer is simple. When I searched for "Fely Sicam" and "Fely Viloria Sicam" on FB, your FB account did not show up. I was only able to find your FB account after doing more research and finding out your full first name is "Felicitas". That said, you can easily see the various posts reacting to your articles by searching in FB for "Fely Viloria Sicam".
If you are truly the journalist you claim to be, you should not be overly dismayed by the reactions to your articles. You wrote a public opinion; you should be willing to accept any and all reactions, good or bad, to what you wrote. (Objectively though, you really should have done better research and used impeccable English, particularly since you commented on the non-use of English by the ER staff.)
Also, it seems that the Mindanao Times has removed your articles (at least those we are talking about) and your letter to the editor from its website. If this was intentional, then there is little to be said about the transparency and fearless journalism of that media outlet. That is of little consequence though, as photos of your articles and letter have already made their way into social media, immortalizing your words on the Internet.
If I were you, I would insist that the op-eds be returned by the Mindanao Times to its website, as you do bring to light the dismal condition of our government hospitals, which really do need much improvement. In the bigger scheme of things, it is this systemic problem that needs to be fixed. As to the "inaccuracies" in your articles, a public apology may be necessary, but this is merely my suggestion.
Sincerely,
Ulysses Dorotheo, MD, FPAO
