QuestionsQuestions (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 498)
Presidential Decree No. 498 amends Republic Act No. 5527, also known as the Philippine Medical Technology Act of 1969.
It covers rendering professional services that aid the physician in diagnosis, study, and treatment of diseases and in promoting health, including laboratory examination of tissues/secretions/excretions and body fluids; blood banking; parasitologic-mycologic and microbiologic procedures; histopathologic techniques and cytotechnology; clinical research involving patients/humans using/applying medical technology; preparation/standardization of reagents and stains exclusively for the laboratory; clinical laboratory quality control; and collection/preservation of specimens.
A person who passed the corresponding Board examination for a profession already regulated by existing laws is not subject to the last four preceding paragraphs if the performance is merely incidental to that profession.
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 the Act.
The Commissioner of the Professional Regulation Commission (Chairman); the Chairman of the Board of Medical Technology (Vice-Chairman); two members of the Board of Medical Technology; the Director of Private Education (or authorized 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 schools of medical technology.
For every meeting attended, the Chairman gets P50.00 per diem and members get P25.00 each regardless of whether they receive regular government salaries; both the Chairman and members are also entitled to traveling expenses for official duties.
A pathologist Chairman and two (2) members who are registered medical technologists, appointed by the President upon recommendation of the Professional Regulation Commission; terms are three (3) years with incumbents serving until successors are appointed and qualified; in case of death/disability/removal, a successor serves the balance of the term.
They must be duly registered medical technologists with the degree B.S. in Medical Technology / B.S. in Hygiene/Public Health, and must not be members of the faculty of any medical technology school for at least two (2) years prior to appointment or have any pecuniary interest (direct or indirect) in such institution.
Among others: issue/suspend/revoke certificates of registration for medical technology and medical laboratory technician; determine adequacy of technical staff of clinical laboratories and blood banks before licensing by DOH under R.A. No. 4355 and R.A. No. 1517; prescribe qualifications and training of medical technologists for special fields and supervise specialty examinations by accredited professional organizations; classify and prescribe qualifications and training of technical staff of clinical laboratories (Chief Medical Technologist, Senior Medical Technologist, Medical Technologist, Medical Laboratory Technician).
Upon recommendation of the Board, the PRC approves laboratories as training laboratories based on satisfactory evidence that they have qualified personnel and proper equipment to carry out laboratory procedures in specified fields (bacteriology, serology, parasitology, hematology, biochemistry, blood banking) and that their activities provide sufficient training in those procedures.
It requires completion of at least a four-year course leading to B.S. Medical Technology or B.S. Public Health, or graduation from another profession with actual medical technology performance for the last five (5) years prior to the exam date, provided such performance began prior to June 21, 1969.
Clinical Chemistry 20%; Microbiology & Parasitology 20%; Hematology 20%; Blood Banking & Serology 20%; Clinical Microscopy (Urinalysis and other body fluids) 10%; and Histopathologic Techniques, Cytotechnology, Medical Technology Laws, Related Laws and its implementing rules, and the Code of Ethics 10%.
The Board computes each examinee’s general average using the relative weights. The Board may change/add/remove subjects or weights subject to prior approval of the PRC and publication of the change at least three (3) months before the exam date.
A certificate of registration is issued to those who pass the required examination, signed by Board members and the PRC Commissioner; no certificate is issued to successful applicants who have not attained age twenty-one (21). Registered medical technologists must display the certificate where they work.
Upon application and payment of P115.00: (1) graduates with B.S. Medical Technology/B.S. Public Health from duly recognized schools in the Philippines or foreign schools with substantially the same standard, and who practiced at least three (3) years in DOH-accredited laboratories in the Philippines (or abroad if performance began prior to June 21, 1969); (2) persons from other professions who actually performed medical technology for last eight (8) years prior to filing, provided performance began prior to June 21, 1969.
Upon application and payment of P50.00, the applicant must show evidence satisfactory to the Board that they: (1) passed the civil service examination for medical technician (March 21, 1964); or (2) finished a two-year college course and have at least one (1) year experience as medical laboratory technician (with substitution: for every year of college deficiency, two years of experience may be substituted); or (3) have at least ten (10) years experience as medical laboratory technician as of approval of the Decree regardless of academic attainment; or (4) failed the board exam for medical technology but had a general rating of at least 70%.
It prohibits any person or corporate body from allowing anyone in employment who is not a registered medical technologist/medical laboratory technician to engage in the practice of medical technology or recommend appointment to such positions, knowing the person is not registered as such; it imposes responsibility on employers for staffing compliance.
Section 12 repeals/amends/modifies all laws, executive orders, decrees, rules, and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with P.D. 498. Section 13 provides that the Decree takes effect immediately.