Senator Francis Tolentino Plans to Rush 1,5000 Medical Graduates Into Service
1500 MEDICAL SCHOOL STUDENTS – Senator Francis Tolentino plans to rush 1,500 medical school graduates into service to help the coronavirus crisis in the country.
Currently, the confirmed cases of novel coronavirus or COVID-19 climbed to 380 with 25 deaths, while 15 have fully recovered. In a previous article, the Department of Health (DOH) called the doctors who died due to the virus as heroes.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the health workers who died in the line of duty battling the virus will be given the proper honor in the future. “Binigyan natin sila ng tamang pagkilala,” he said.
Based on a report from Inquirer, Senator Francis Tolentino said he wanted to waive the licensure examination of 1,500 medical graduates scheduled in March 2020 to help the government fight against the deadly virus. He made the proposal after the DOH asked for volunteer doctors and nurses to help combat the coronavirus crisis.
“It is urged that these graduates from all the medical schools in the Philippines be authorized to practice medicine and to be registered as doctors, without having to take the Physician Licensure Examination, upon waiver of the same by the Professional Regulation Commission, so that they can immediately be deployed to support the government and local government unit (LGU) hospitals,” Tolentino said.
According to the report, the Physician Licensure Examination was scheduled on March 8, 9,15, and 16, 2020. The two later dates were postponed by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) due to the COVID-19 threat.
Sen. Francis Tolentino cited the Medical Act of 1959 that says the med student who have completed the first four years of medical course “are allowed to render medical services upon authorization by the Secretary of Health without the need of a certificate of registration.”
“In a national health crisis, such as a pandemic, we are also at war, with the lives of our countrymen at stake, and our health workers are on the frontlines, but they need reinforcements now. In such extraordinary times, we need to adopt all measures to save the lives of the Filipino people,” he told Health Sec. Duque.
Based on the report, Francis Tolentino said his proposal was already done in Italy where 10K medical graduates skipped the final exam to help their country fight the coronavirus crisis.
“Sa Italy, ginawa na nila ito. Hindi na nila pinakuha ng licensure examination ang 10,000 nilang medical graduates at pinayagan na silang maging ganap na mga doktor para agad silang makatulong sa COVID-19 health crisis nila duon,” he said.
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