Manila OKs bid of four medical schools to hold limited face-to-face classes

MANILA, Philippines — The City of Manila approved Wednesday the proposal of four schools to conduct limited face-to-face classes and clerkship programs for their medical courses.

Mayor Isko Moreno said he okayed the plan of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) College of Medicine, Metropolitan Medical Center College of Arts and Sciences, Chinese General Hospital Colleges, and Manila Theological College-College of Medicine after a meeting with officials of each school.

Moreno said PLM president Emmanuel Leyco asked for the gradual reopening of the clinical clerkship program in the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center while Metropolitan Medical Center College of Arts and Sciences Executive Vice President Remedior Habacon, MD, requested to gradual resumption of their face-to-face classes and clinical clerkship under the Doctor of Medicine program.

The city official also said the Chinese General Hospital Colleges appealed for the revival of its students’ hands-on pre-clinical training and clinical rotation in the campus laboratory and hospital under the programs of Doctor of Medicine, BS Nursing, BS Medical Technology, BS Radiologic Technology, and BS Physical Therapy.

Further, Moreno said the Manila Theological College-College of Medicine sought permission to let its 4th-year medical students conduct limited in-hospital duty at the school’s base hospital, the Tondo Medical Center.

“If you need testing for your students, we have a good capacity to test para magkaroon ng (to have a) peace of mind among each other, including your professors,” Moreno said told school officials.

“Gusto kong akapin ang lahat (I want to include everyone), we want to be inclusive – whether you’re a private hospital, you are in the City of Manila. Sabi ko nga sa inyo, bawat buhay ng doktor (I told you before, every life of a doctor), nurses, and other allied medical services na nasa (that are in the) frontline is valued,” he added.

Before this, Moreno approved the proposal of the University of Santo Tomas and Centro Escolar University’s Manila campus to hold limited face-to-face classes.

Based on the guidelines of the Commission on Higher Education, “educational institutions have to consult with their respective local government units first before submitting their official application for limited face-to-face classes,” the Manila City government noted.

KGA