5/31/2014 Medical Mission

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Published on Department of Health, Philippines (http://www.doh.gov.ph)
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Medical Mission
RATI ONALE
Medical and Surgical Missions (MSM) are conducted by the Department of Health, the
Local Government Units, other government agencies, and local and foreign non-
government organizations to extend medical and surgical health care services to
Filipinos in underserved areas. These medical and surgical missions are taken as
professional endeavor and not as medium for political patronage.
GENERAL GUI DELI NES
1. All sponsors of medical and surgical missions are required to seek cleareance
from the Office of Secretary of Health through the Bureau of Local Health
Development (BLHD) fora all local MSM or through the Bureau of International
Cooperation (BIHC) for all foreign MSM.
2. The BLHD and BIHC shall notify the concerned Centers for Health Development
(CHD) that a medical or surgical mission will be conducted in their areas of
responsibility for monitoring purposes.
3. The BLHD in counsultation with the Centers for Health Development Local
Health Assistance Division (CHD-LHAD) and Local Government Units shall
identify and prioritize areas where local medical and surgical missions can best
supplement or augment priority health programs and projects.
4. The sponsors shall inform, seek written consent from the host LGU and
collaborating organizationns and health facilities, and conduct community
preparation prior to the mission. Likewise, a foreign medical mission can only
be conducted in a given locality with the expressed and consent of the local
medical society. Should the foreign medical mission entail the practice of a
specialty, a written consent must also be given by the local specialty society.
5. The local medical society, in coordination with the CHD-LHAD.
6. The sponsors and collaborating organizations shall comply with all clearances
and permits required by the Philippine government prior to the implementation
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of the MSM.
7. The DOH, through the Centers for Health Development, Specialty, Regional and
other DOH Retained Hospitals shall provide technical assistance, as needed by
the MSM.
8. The CHD-LHAD is tasked to monitor the conduct of MSM and in coordination
with their health education and promotion officers shall participate actively in
the MSM by performing promotive-preventive activities.
9. All medical and surgical procedures to be employed must conform to accepted
local and international standards.
10. All medicines to be dispensed should have clearance from the Bureau of Food
and Drugs (BFAD) as to safely and efficacy and shall have expiry date of no less
than six months. These must have Certificates of Product Registration issued by
the BFAD.
11. All equipment must conform to the standards set by the DOH and cleared by the
Bureau of Health Devices and Technology.
12. A referral system to follow-up all patients seen during the MSM and those
needing further evaluation and treatment must be established by the sponsor
and collaborating organization.
13. All cases seen during the MSM must be documented and a summary report
submitted to the CHD-LHAD within two weeks after the MSM with the following
minimum basic information:
No. and age of cases seen
Diagnosis of patients
List of medicines distributed and of surgical interventions
Endorsements to the necessary health facilities (follow-up, further
evaluation and management, etc.)
14. At no instance shall a foreign physician and health-related professionals
practice the profession in the Philippines without a special permit from the
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
REQUI REMENT FOR DOH CLEARANCE FOR ALL MEDI CAL AND SURGI CAL
MI SSI ONS I N ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRI VATE HEALTH FACI LI TI ES
1. All application letters for clearance of MSM shall state the following
information:
Name of hospital and its complete address
Type of mission as to whether medical, surgical or both, local or foreign
Duration of the mission and inclusive dates
Name and specialty of staff who will conduct the mission
2. A copy of the Specialty Board Certificates of each physician in the mission shall
be submitted together with the application.
3. Application letter with the necessary documents should be received by the BIHC
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at least three (3) months prior to the actual conduct of the mission.
GUI DELI NES FOR GRANTI NG PERMI TS TO FOREI GN DOCTORS AND OTHER
HEALTH PROFESSI ONALS CONDUCTI NG MEDI CAL AND SURGI CAL MI SSI ONS
SPONSORED BY LOCAL AND/OR PRI VATE ORGANI ZATI ONS
The originals of the photocopies shall be presented for verification unless the
photocopies are authenticated by competent or legally authorized persons or
officers.
1. A legally binding contract must be entered into between the foreign medical
mission and the local counterpart. The contract shall bind the foreigners to the
following terms:
No foreigner in training (as interns, residents, fellows or their equivalents)
will perform any specialty work;
The medical work must be done under the supervision, control and
approval of the local medical society and/or the local specialty society;
Records of the work done must be kept and copies submitted to the CHD-
LHAD, PRC, specialty society concerned and PMA;
All records including audio-visual documents, still pictures and their
negatives are property of the Philippine counterpart and may not be used
or reproduced for advertisement, solicitation or medical publication
without the written and expressed approval of the local medical society
and the local counterpart; and any intellectual output as journal
publication must include the local physicians as senior authors.
The foreign medical mission shall post a bond to cover any legal and other
claims resulting from the medical mission with the amount set by the local
medical society;
Any help needed as assistants at surgery, social workers, nurses shall be
filed by the local personnel unless expressly waived by the local workers.
2. All requests for temporary practice of profession of foreign members of the
MSM shall be directed to the Bureau of International Health Cooperation at
least 3 months before the conduct of the mission for endorsement to the PRC.
in addition to the proposal to undertake MSM, the sponsor shall submit duly
authenticated documents supporting the credentials of the members of the
group who will participate in the mission as follow:
Two copies of the passport size pictures taken not more than three (3)
months before the filing of the application;
Photocopy of the college diploma;
Photocopy of the certificates or license issued to the applicant in th
country of origin;
Documents attesting to the special studies, fields of specialization or
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experiences;
Letter of endorsement from the head of organization with whom he will
work.
3. Foreign physicians shall be granted special permit to practice medicine by the
PRC when the following are met:
Applicant is a citizen of a country when grants reciprocity for Philippine
physicians to practice; a country with substantially the same requirements
for registration and licensing as those required and contemplated by the
laws of the Philippines and the laws of such country allow the citizens of
the Philippines to practice the profession on the same basis and grant the
same privileges as those enjoyed by the subjects of the citizens of such
country
Applicant is already a trained specialist as attested to by his curriculum
vitae to the satisfaction of the Board of Medicine of PRC (BM-PRC).
Applicant's curriculum vitae and other supporting documents must be
authenticated by the Philippine embassy/consulate;
Applicant shall perform a specific function for a limited period of not
exceeding thirty (30) days which may be renewed at the discretion of the
BM-PRC.
Applicant must submit a written report of the work performed to the BM-
PRC not later than 30 days after the termination of the work;
Applicant must submit to the BM-PRC his application, examination and
registration fees and all supporting documents and these must be
received by the Board not later than 90 days before the proposed MSM.
4. The special permit issued shall be valid for one year.
5. If the foreigner desires to renew the permit, letter of intent should be directed
to the PRC with favorable endorsement from the head of organization with
whom he is connected.
For further information, please contact Ms. Mayleen Beltran, Director,
Bureau of I nternational Health Cooperation, Department of Health,
Philippines, at telephone number 781-8843 (telefax) and 781-0751, or
email at mmbeltran@co.doh.gov.ph.
Copyright Department of Health All Rights Reserved
San Lazaro Compound, Sta. Cruz, Manila
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(+632) 651-7800
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