Medical Technology education in the Philippines began in 1960. Since then, the country has been molding medical technologists for the world health industry who are scientifically and technologically competent to deliver the full spectrum of Medical Technology services required in modern health care. Medical technology education in the Philippines trains students in the performance of laboratory test procedures and analyses used in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of disease, with the use of modern equipment and scientific techniques.
Course specialties include clinical biochemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, bacteriology, virology, parasitology, mycology, immunology, immune-hematology, histopathology, cytopathology, genetics, cytogenetics, and IVF labs. The first three years deals with the broad knowledge of basic and health sciences. To create the best environment for students to master the principles and theories of medicine, medical schools link health-service needs, top health-professionals, advance training facilities including programs, and new advances of the ever-changing care environment.
At the end of the four-year course, students are competent in scientific research, methods, and processes having acquired skills in instrumentation, laboratory diagnosis, methodology, and life-saving procedures. In addition, students show qualities, attitudes and values needed to become competitive and effective member of the health care delivery system. As hospitals and labs in the United States find it cheaper to send some of their core and non-core medical processes overseas, the Philippines’ medical sector is growing by the day.
The 2006 review cited the Philippines advantage as with huge pool of highly skilled medical technology professionals with the ability to work with people of different ethnicities. Medical technologists from the Philippines are in high demand because of the industry’s emphasis on diagnosing and treating diseases. In addition, the similarity in health system makes medical technologists trained in the Philippines comfortable in U. S. laboratories. Medical technology professionals may work behind the scenes but they do contribute to saving lives.
They may come from the Philippines but they are true to their commitment to quality and to the community they serve.
HISTORY OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES Margaret L. Casimiro, RMT University of the Immaculate Conception College of Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science Davao City, Philippines World war II1944 – US bases were built in Leyte Health care team were brought to the Philippines Opening of the 26th medical laboratory of the 6th US army Located at Quiricada, Sta. Cruz, Manila Presently known as Public Health Laboratory (Manila Health Department) Training of civilians for lab works began…history 1945 June – US army left the Philippines Laboratory was endorsed to the National Department of Health September 1945, Dr. Pio de Roda and Dr.
Mariano Icasiano re-organized the lab and named it Manila Public Health Laboratory 1947 – training for interested civilians to become lab workers was offered 1954 – formal training with syllabus began (made by Dr. Prudencia Sta. Cruz) Formal Medical Technology Education in the Philippines Philippine Union College of Baesa, Caloocan (1954) – offered the first 4-year BS MedTech course Dr. Jesse Umali – fisrt BSMedTech graduate D. Antonio Gabriel and Dr.
Gustavo Reyes (SY 1957-58) offered medtech as an elective course to 4th and 5th year BS Pharmacy students Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Rodriguez decided to offer it as a course June 1957 – permit for 1st – 3rd year was issued June 1960 – permit for the internship program was issued June 14, 1961 – full recognition of the 4-year BS MedTech course CEU’s first batch graduated in 1962 Many schools also offered the same course UP offers BS Public Health Postgraduate studies are offered by some schools: UST PWU UP History of Medical Technology in the Philippines World War II is the most widespread war that occurred from 1939 to 1945.
On the day Pearl Harbor was invaded by Japan (December 7, 1941) three days after Japan invaded Philippines causing wrath of the US. The war between the two rivals was very grave. Sickness and death due to illnesses were rampant. In 1944, US bases were built in Leyte (around 75 miles away from Manila Bay). This made possible for the Us to bring in members of the health care team to the Philippines to resolve the health problems of soldiers and Filipinos. Real medical facilities were made available to the Philippines, which includes the26th Medical Laboratory of the 6th US Army.
The said laboratory was located at Quiricada, Sta. Cruz, Manila, but now known as the Public Health Laboratory, a division of the Manila Health Department. As early as February of that year, training of civilians to become members of the health care team was already being done. The 6th US Army left the laboratory on June 1945. The laboratory was endorsed tothe National Department of Health but the department did not seem to be interested in pursuing the objectives of laboratory. The World War ended on September 1945, and barely a month after, the laboratory was formerly re-organized by Dr.
Alfredo Pio de Roda and assisted by Dr. MarianoI casiano who was then the Manila City Health Officer. The laboratory was later name Manila Public Health Laboratory. A training program for individuals aspiring to become laboratory workers was offered in 1947 by dr. Pio de Roda, in collaboration with Dr. Prudencia Sta. Ana. Trainees were mostly high school graduates and paramedical graduates. The training proved to be ineffective because the trainees were never motivated and there was no program that was supposed to last for a definite period and no certificates were issued to trainees.
Realizing this, Dr. Pio de Roda instructed Dr. Sta. Ana to prepare a formal syllabusof the training program. In 1954, the training began using a syllabus and it was to last for 6 months. A short while after Dr. Briones joined the two. The training program offered by Dr. Pio de Roda did not last long, for during the same year, the formal education of Medical Technology in the Philippines began. PAMET The Philippine Association of Medical Technologist, Inc. (PAMET, Inc. ) is thenational organization of all registered medical technologist in the Philippines. It is a non-stock profit organization. Mr.
Crisanto G. Almario at the Public Health Laboratory in Sta. Cruz, Manila, organized it on September 15, 1963. He is “The Father of PAMET”. It had its first convention and election of officers on September 20, 1964 at the Far Easter University where in Mr. Charlemagne Tamondong became the first president. It was incorporated and registered at the Securities mid Exchange Commission on October 14, 1969 with Reg. No. 39570, during the presidency of Mr. Nardito D. Moraleta. On June 21, 1969, R. A. 5527 also known as the Philippine Medical Technology Act was enacted into law. On June 22, 1973, P. D.
223 was approved creating the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). PAMET was officially recognized as the only Accredited Professional Organization (APO) of registered Medical Technologists in the Philippines. PAMET is a national body with forty-six (46) chapters nationwide totaling to more than twelve thousand (12,000) members. PAMET is affiliated with other local professional associations namely Council Of Professional Health Associations (COPHA), Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (PFPA), Council of Health Agencies (CHAP) and Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in Clinical Laboratories (PCQACL).
Internationally, PAMET is affiliated with ASEAN Association of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (AACLS), Asia Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists(AAMLS), International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (IFBLS) and Asia-Pacific Federation of Clinical Biochemistry (APFCB). PASMETHPASMETH is the national organization of all recognized schools of Medical Technology in the Philippines. It was formed in 1970 in the hopes of maintaining the highest standards of Medical Technology/Public Health education and to foster closer relations among these schools.
On May 13, 1970, Director Narciso Albarracin appointed Dr. Serafin Juliano and Dr. Gustavo U. Reyes to organize an association of Deans/Heads of Schools of Medical Technology and Hygiene. The first organizational meeting was held at the University of Santo Tomas on June 22, 1970. Dr. Gustavo Reyes became the first president of PASMETH. It was formally registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission onOctober 6, 1985 thru the Committee on Legislation chaired by Mr. Cirilo S. Cajucom with the help of a legal counsel, Atty.
Dexter Bihis ABROAD HISTORY What is Medical Technology? Medical technology as defined by Ruth Heinemann(1963) is “the application of principles of natural, physical, and biological sciences to the performance of laboratoryprocedures which aid in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. “Anna Fagelson(1961) defined it as “the branch of medicine concerned with theperformance of laboratory determinations and analyses used in the diagnosis andtreatment of the disease and the maintenance of health.
“Walters defined medical technology or clinical laboratory science “as the healthprofession concerned with performing laboratory analyses in view of obtaininginformation necessary in the diagnosis and treatment of disease as well as in themaintenance of good health. “All in all Medical technology is a part of the health technology, whichencompasses a wide-range of health care products and, in one way or another, is usedto diagnose, monitor or treat every disease or condition that affects humans.
HISTORYEarly HistoryIn the year 460 B. C.when the Greek, physician Hippocrates also known as thefather of medicine formulated the famous Hippocratic Oath, the code of ethics for practicing physicians. Hippocrates described four “humors” or body fluids in mannamely- the blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. These four humors or body fluidswere felt to be the source of a person’s disposition and disease in ancient times. Visual examination of urine at the bedside could diagnose illness. Astrology,superstition and folk-lore often influences ancient physicians in making diagnoses, butthey made credible observation about urine.
Urinalysis or the study of urine has beenpassed down from ancient times and is regarded as the oldest laboratory procedurestoday. In the year 1500 B. C. a medical technologist named Vivian Herrick traces thebeginning of medical technology when the intestinal parasites such as Taenia andAscaris were first identified. Ebers Papyrus, believe that medical technology beganwhen a book for treatment of disease published, this book also contained thedescription of the three stages of hookworm infection and the disease it could produceto human.
Another person in named Ruth Williams believe that medical technology beganfrom the medieval period (1096-1438) as supported by the fact that urinalysis was a fad. Early Hindu doctors made the “scientific observation” that the urine of certain individualattracted ants, and that such urine has a sweetish taste. In the 14th century AnneFagelson believe that medical technology started when a prominent Italian doctor at theUniversity of Bologna employed Alessandra Giliani to perform different tasks in thelaboratory, unfortunately she died due to laboratory acquired infection.
Medical technology developed as the years passed. In 1632, Anton VanLeeuwenhoek invented and improved the compound microscope. He was the first todescribe red blood cells, to see protozoa, and to classify bacteria according to shape. His invention led to the rapid progress of microbiology and pathology. As scienceprogressed, laboratory tests were greatly improved. In 1848, Herman Fehling performedthe first quantitive test for urine sugar. At the same time, the rapid advancement of our chemistry laid the ground work for the development of our modern clinical chemistry.