Gatchalian bill seeks comprehensive regulation on medical practice; proposes Medical Education Council

Senator Win Gatchalian has filed a bill that seeks to provide for a more responsive and comprehensive regulation for the practice of the medical profession, which would include upgraded standards on basic medical education, medical internship, and post-graduate medical education and training.

Senate Bill No. 953 or the Physicians Act seeks the creation of the Medical Education Council (MEC) under the administrative supervision of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The MEC's functions will include the determination of the minimum required curriculum leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine, including internship.

The MEC's other functions include the recognition and authorization of the opening of new medical schools upon compliance with minimum requirements. It will also determine, among others, the minimum number and standard qualifications of administrative and teaching personnel, and the minimum requirements for admission into a recognized college of medicine.

"Medicine, as a branch of health science, is always in a flux of development in education, practice, technology, and systems. Thus, the Practice of Medicine's governing law must be appropriate and responsive to the ever changing educational, economic, societal, technological, and scientific Innovations, and global advancements," said Gatchalian in the bill's explanatory note.

Gatchalian's bill also seeks the creation of the Professional Regulatory Board of Medicine (PRBM) under the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), whose functions will include the supervision, regulation, and monitoring of the practice of medicine in the Philippines, including telemedicine. The PRBM will also conduct the Physician Licensure Examination (PLE), and determine and evaluate qualifications of the applicants for the PLE.

The proposed measure also creates the Post-Graduate Medical Education Council (PGMEC) under the PRBM, which shall ensure the quality of post-graduate medical education and training for all disciplines, specialties, and sub-specialties of medical residents.

Under the proposal, the entire medical profession will be under the Integrated National Professional Organization of Physicians (INPOP), which will have the power to investigate violations of this Act, Code of Ethics, as well as pertinent rules and regulations, administrative policies, orders, and issuances.

Gatchalian's proposed measure also addresses policies that have long been absent in existing laws on the medical profession: opening up the practice of profession to foreigners conditioned on reciprocity; providing for penalties for illegal practice of medicine; and stipulating a definition of medical malpractice and the corresponding penalties for such.

Komprehensibong regulasyon sa larangan ng medisina isinusulong ni Gatchalian

Naghain si Senador Win Gatchalian ng isang panukalang batas na layong nagtatakda ng akma at komprehensibong regulasyon sa larangan ng medisina, kabilang ang mga napapanahong pamantayan sa medical education, medical internship, at post-graduate medical education at pagsasanay.

Ipinapanukala ng Senate Bill No. 953 o ng Physicians Act ang paglikha ng Medical Education Council (MEC) sa ilalim ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Kabilang sa mga magiging tungkulin ng MEC ang pagtatakda ng minimum required curriculum para sa Doctor of Medicine, kabilang ang internship.

Magiging tungkulin din ng MEC ang pagkilala at pagpapahintulot sa pagbubukas ng mga bagong medical schools na susunod sa mga itatakdang minimum requirements. Ang MEC rin ang magtatakda ng bilang at mga standard qualifications ng administrative at teaching personnel, pati na rin sa mga minimum requirements para makapasok sa isang kinikilalang college of medicine.

"Bilang isang sangay ng health science, kinakailangang sumabay ng medisina sa mga pagbabago sa practice, edukasyon, teknolohiya, at mga sistema. Kaya naman ang mga batas at pamantayan sa propesyon ng medisina ay dapat tugma sa pagbabago sa edukasyon, ekonomiya, lipunan, teknolohiya, mga inobasyon, at mga global advancements," ani Gatchalian.

Iminumungkahi din ni Gatchalian ang paglikha sa Professional Regulatory Board of Medicine (PRBM) sa ilalim ng Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Magiging tanggapan ng PRBM ang regulasyon, superbisyon, at pagmonitor sa practice ng medisina sa Pilipinas kabilang ang telemedicine. Ang PRBM din ang magsasagawa ng Physician Licensure Examination (PLE) at siya ring magtatakda ng mga kwalipikasyon para sa paglahok sa PLE.

Nililikha rin ng panukalang batas ang Post-Graduate Medical Education Council (PGMEC) sa ilalim ng PRBM. Titiyakin ng PGMEC ang kalidad ng post-graduate medical education at training para sa lahat ng mga disiplina, mga specialty at sub-specialties ng mga medical residents.

Mungkahi rin ni Gatchalian na isailalim sa Integrated National Professional Organization of Physicians (INPOP) ang pagkakaroon ng kapangyarihang imbestigahan ang mga paglabag sa batas, Code of Ethics, rules and regulations, administrative policies, orders, at issuances.

Tutugunan din ng panukalang batas ni Gatchalian ang mga polisiyang hindi tinatalakay sa kasalukuyang batas sa larangan ng medisina. Kabilang dito ang pagbubukas ng propesyon sa mga dayuhan, pagtatakda ng mga kaparusahan sa mga iligal na practice ng medisina, at pagbibigay depinisyon at kaparusahan sa mga medical malpractice.