Amendment to old medical law lauded

CEBU, Philippines — The University of the Visayas-Gullas College of Medicine has lauded the House of Representatives for approving a crucial provision of House Bill 10145 that allows registration of foreign medical graduates in the country.

The school believes the amendment to Republic Act 2382 or the Medical Act of 1959 will address the gap in the regulatory process under the old law---the absence of a policy framework to register foreign medical graduates who obtained their medical degrees in the Philippine medical schools. 

Under the amended law, foreign nationals who have studied and completed the Doctor of Medicine in the Philippines and completed 12 months of internship will be granted registration for practice.

“With the amendment, the Philippines will surely reclaim its status as a center of medical education in the Asia-Pacific Region,” reads a statement from Gullas College of Medicine.

According to Gullas College of Medicine, one group of foreign medical students enrolled in various medical schools across the country who will benefit the amendment is the Indian medical students.

This is due to the new regulations of Indian Medical Commission requiring registration of medical students overseas where the degree was obtained.

“The amendment will benefit the medical schools accepting Indian medical students in Cebu City and one such university with world-class facilities and state-of-the-art medical instructional materials is the University of the Visayas—Gullas College of Medicine,” it said in a statement.

The school’s chief executive consultant, Dr.  David Pillai, said the “long overdue amendment is indeed timely and crucial since the issue of registration of the Indian medical graduates poses a huge challenge as this opens a whole new ground not anticipated by or outside the purview of old laws, rules and regulations such as the Medical Act of 1959.”

Pillai added that, “this will also benefit the Philippines from the resurgence of confidence in the medical education system of the country as well as spur greater student cross-border mobility especially under the framework of Executive Order 285, and the increasingly globalized world characterized by 21st century paradigms and solutions.”

He said the Indian medical students have “found a way forward”.

“Hopefully, the Philippines can get back on track and gain precious momentum in the battle for medical education promotion, and thus enhance our advantage and appeal as a medical education destination in the Asia-Pacific,” UV-GCM concluded. /FPL. (CEBU NEWS)