QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 7392)
RA 7392 is titled the “Philippine Midwifery Act of 1992,” and it revises Republic Act No. 2644, as amended.
The Board of Midwifery is under the direct supervision of the PRC and is a collegial body composed of a chairman and four (4) members.
The President appoints from among the recommendees of the PRC Commissioner. The PRC recommends: (a) three (3) registered midwives from an accredited association of midwives, (b) one (1) obstetrician from an accredited association of obstetricians, and (c) one (1) registered nurse-midwife from the association of midwives (all meeting the qualifications in Sec. 3).
Each member must be a Philippine citizen and resident, of good moral character, at least 30 years old, and must not be a faculty member teaching midwifery or have pecuniary interest in any institution where midwifery is taught during the term.
The Chairman must be a registered obstetrician and have at least ten (10) years of practice as an obstetrician prior to appointment.
They must be registered midwives, degree holders (preferably in health and social sciences), and have at least ten (10) years of midwifery practice, five (5) of which are in supervisory positions.
They must be a registered nurse-midwife and have at least ten (10) years of practice as a nurse-midwife.
The Chairman and four (4) members serve for three (3) years or until successors are appointed and duly qualified, without prejudice to reappointment; each qualifies by taking an oath of office before performing duties.
Among others: enforce the Act; administer oaths; issue and suspend/revoke certificates after due investigation; investigate violations with subpoena and subpoena duces tecum and compel attendance via contempt; conduct yearly board examinations under PRC supervision; assess conditions affecting midwifery and adopt measures for standards and ethics; adopt an official seal.
Subject to PRC approval, the standards/rules take effect 30 days after publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
The examination scope includes: infant care and feeding; obstetrical anatomy and physiology; principles of bacteriology as applied to midwife practice; obstetrics; midwifery procedures; domiciliary midwifery; community hygiene and first aid; nutrition; ethics; primary health care; professional growth and development; family planning; and other subjects as the Board may add.
At filing, the applicant must be in good health and of good moral character, and be a graduate of midwifery in a government-recognized and duly accredited institution. At issuance of the certificate, the applicant must be a Filipino citizen and at least 18 years old.
A school must have a permit from DECS, at least fifty (50) maternity beds, and be affiliated with an accredited hospital accredited by a government agency. It must have at least one (1) clinical instructor per 12 students in hospital/community. It must show DECS/authorized agencies that students complete the prescribed course and personally attended at least 20 deliveries in hospital and domiciliary services.
It includes providing services requiring understanding of principles/procedures for supervision and care of women during pregnancy, labor, and puerperium management of normal deliveries; internal examination during labor except with antenatal bleeding; health education; primary health care including nutrition and family planning in carrying out physicians’ written orders for antenatal, intra-natal, and post-natal care; immunization; oral/parenteral dispensing of oxytoxic drug after placenta delivery; suturing perineal lacerations to control bleeding; giving IV fluids during obstetrical emergencies if trained; and may inject Vitamin K to the newborn. It does not apply to midwifery students under instructor supervision or emergency cases.
Sec. 21 prohibits practice or offering to practice without a valid certificate of registration and professional license as a midwife. Sec. 27 provides that violators commit misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than P10,000 nor more than P30,000 and/or imprisonment of not less than 2 nor more than 7 years, and includes acts such as using another’s certificate, using a revoked/suspended certificate, false/forged evidence, or misrepresenting titles such as “R.M.” without authority.
To pass, a candidate must obtain a general rating of at least 75% in the written test, with no subject grade lower than 50%.
The Board may revoke or suspend for causes including unprofessional conduct, malpractice, incompetence, serious ignorance or negligence, assisting or performing abortion in midwifery practice, or making use of fraud/deceit/false statements to obtain a certificate. An appeal from the Board’s decision is to the PRC, and that PRC decision is final.