Last January 11, 2011, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) made a statement regarding their stand on the argument regarding the Reproductive Health Bill.
In response to earlier reports saying that the country’s largest group of doctors, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) is supporting the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) stance on the RH Bill, an official statement was made on the PMA website.
However, the rights of physicians to do what is best medically for their patients, the right to informed choice of the people, the freedom of religion, the right of the people to health services and proper health education shall be respected and emphasized at all times and no censure or penalty of whatever kind or nature shall be imposed on the exercise of said rights.
The government must set up on a national level emergency obstetrical care and provide facilities for maternity/pediatric cases with access to blood bank. Information on the scope of reproductive health like fertility, contraception, abortion, reproductive tract infections, cancer risks and immunizations must be made available to the people.
This actually puts a big stress in the patients and it also creates a big problem in the community because it puts the emotional judgment of one doctor about his/her stand in the Reproductive Health Bill over his ability to be rational. Doctors in this country have been doing this for a long time now. When it comes to issues like abortion, they would sometimes choose not to help patients who went through failed abortions. Even though abortion is not in the R.H. Bill, It is still likely to come up especially with teens. Even though doctors have taken an oath to treat patients who are in need, some of them would actually leave women to die because they refuse to treat them.
The Philippine Medical Association does not endorse making contraceptive devices/services available in schools. The government should instead provide for properly educated reproductive health personnel who will give age-appropriate information and counseling. The age of adolescence must be defined.
Providing education to teens is never enough when it comes to the issue of sex. Just because teenagers have been taught what the concept of sex is doesn’t mean that they are less likely to explore the subject. I have known people who have been properly educated about sex who still explore in their teen years. The fact is there is no way of preventing teens from having sex. The only alternative is to actually teach them how to have safe sex and hope that they’ll be smart enough to remember it. But in order to do that. They must also be properly taught how contraceptives work and if that is the case then contraceptives must be made available and in order for that to happen, the R.H. Bill must push through. Isn’t that common sense? The only reason why doctors refuse to take part in the R.H. Bill is because they want to be absolved of any responsibility of having to treat someone who has undergone a failed abortion.
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