MANILA – Sen. Richard Gordon was pushing for a Senate inquiry on a syndicate that facilitates the entry and employment of foreign doctors who practice medicine in certain hospitals without necessary permits.
Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said the entry of foreign doctors without permit “violates the reciprocity requirement under Republic Act (RA) 2382, or The Medical Act of 1959, and RA 8981, or the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) Modernization Act of 2000.”
“I am concerned because they are allowed to deal with patients on a one-on-one basis, they prescribe medicines. The patients hardly understand them,” Gordon said.
“Are they supervised by Filipino doctors? Are they even allowed to practice medicine here? As I understand it, we only have a reciprocity principal with Japan, Spain and the United States, including the Association of South East Asian Nations Mutual Recognition Arrangements,” he added.
Gordon said complaints reached him that some Pakistani or Nepalese doctors were practicing medicine as medical consultants at James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital.
“Una, Chinese workers ang kumukompetensya sa mga workers natin, ngayon mga doktor naman. Dapat matigil ito because this concerns the health and well-being of the public and I fear this is being practiced not just in Olongapo but in other areas too,” Gordon said.
According to the law, only the PRC is authorized to issue licenses or special temporary permit to foreign professionals who wish to practice their professions in the country. /PN
