PRC Suspends Two Provisions Affecting Medical Missions in their New Guidelines

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) issued Resolution No. 2012-673, series of 2012, suspending the operationalization of Section 5 and Section 17 of Resolution No. 2012-668 series of 2012 . The latter incorporates the Guidelines for the implementation of the PRC Modernization Act of 2000.

The two provisions that were suspended dealt with: ( Section 5) the increase on the payment of processing fee and fee for the issuance of Special Temporary Permit and ( Section 17) the need for liability insurance.

The issuance of the Resolution suspending the two provisions was made possible after representations were made by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas(CFO) with the PRC Regulatory Board. The two agencies' request was in line with the objections raised by various stakeholders, both local and overseas, involved and engaged in foreign surgical and medical missions (FSMM).

PRC, DOH and CFO recognize the humanitarian services offered by medical missions and the impact of these services to the underserved communities in the country. The agencies agreed to undertake in October a multi-stakeholder strategy planning workshop on FSMM to rationalize and facilitate the conduct of medical missions to the Philippines.

DOH and CFO stressed that, in the meantime, medical mission groups who are planning to conduct their missions in the Philippines should continue to be guided by the Joint Administrative Order No. 0030, series of 2009.