Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 498)
The practice of medical technology is defined as a person who for compensation renders professional services to aid physicians in diagnosis, study, treatment of diseases, and health promotion through examination of human tissues, secretions, body fluids, blood banking, parasitologic, mycologic, microbiologic procedures, histopathologic and cytotechnology, clinical research, reagent preparation, quality control, and specimen collection and preservation.
A Medical Laboratory Technician is a person certified and registered with the Board as qualified to assist a medical technologist and/or qualified pathologist in the practice of medical technology as defined in this Act.
The Council is composed of the Commissioner of the Professional Regulation Commission as Chairman, the Chairman of the Board of Medical Technology as Vice-Chairman, two members of the Board of Medical Technology, the Director of Private Education or representative, the Director of the Bureau of Research and Laboratories of the Department of Health, and a representative of the deans or heads of private medical technology schools.
Members must be duly registered medical technologists of the Philippines with a BS in Medical Technology/Hygiene/Public Health, not be faculty members or have pecuniary interest in any medical technology school for at least two years prior to appointment.
The Board issues, suspends, and revokes certificates of registration, determines adequacy of technical staff in clinical laboratories and blood banks, prescribes qualifications and training for specialties, and classifies the technical staff of clinical laboratories.
The examination covers Clinical Chemistry (20%), Microbiology & Parasitology (20%), Hematology (20%), Blood Banking & Serology (20%), Clinical Microscopy (10%), and Histopathologic Techniques, Cytotechnology, Medical Technology Laws, Related Laws, and the Code of Ethics (10%).
Certificates without exam can be issued to those who passed the civil service exam for medical technician in 1964, finished a two-year college course plus one year experience (with possible substitutions), have at least ten years experience as of approval date, or failed the board exam but obtained at least 70% general rating.
Any person or corporate body who allows an unregistered person to engage in the practice of medical technology or recommends them knowing they are not registered commits a violation punishable under this Decree.
Upon the Board's recommendation, the Department of Education and Culture approves schools of medical technology, while the Professional Regulation Commission approves laboratories for accreditation as training sites, ensuring proper personnel, equipment, and training scope as specified.