Clinical rotation of Clinical Clerks and Post-graduate/Medical Interns to continue regardless of community quarantine status

Face-to-face clinical rotation of clinical clerks and post-graduate/medical interns will now continue regardless of community quarantine status subject to the guidelines that will be issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Health (DOH).

This is pursuant to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 138 released on September 9, 2021, in order to have additional frontliners  in  hospitals without compromising the safety of the interns, since they will not be rotated in COVID-19 areas/units. 

CHED and DOH issued on 16 September, the Article IV-B of CHED-DOH JMC No. 2021-001, series of 2021 or the “Guidelines on the Gradual Reopening of Campuses of higher education institutions (HEIs) for limited face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For HEIs located in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), CHED may give them authority to conduct limited face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic subject to compliance with this JMC, the policies stated above, and based on the following considerations:

• They submitted their applications to the concerned CHEDROs;
• They are offering  any of the priority health-related degree programs and courses/subjects; and
• They have base hospital/s catering to COVID 19 patients. 

For HEIs offering medical education programs located in areas under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), GCQ with Heightened Restrictions,  CHED may give them authority to conduct limited face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic subject to compliance  with  this JMC, the policies stated above, and based on the following considerations:

• They submitted their applications to the concerned CHEDROs;
• They have base hospital/s catering to COVID-19 patients. Medical clerks and postgraduate/medical interns shall NOT be allowed to rotate in the emergency room, out-patient  department, and COVID wards, but ONLY be allowed to rotate in non-COVID units (including non-COVID operating rooms and ICU), telemedicine hub and the Bayanihan Na Operations Center (if applicable); 
• Only fully vaccinated medical clerks and postgraduate/medical interns shall be allowed while unvaccinated clerks/interns shall continue with the flexible learning modality and may take face-to-face classes if the area is reclassified to MGCQ/GCQ.  
• For HEIs already issued  authority by CHED to conduct limited face-to-face classes,  the same will serve as authority to conduct limited face-to-face classes in areas under ECQ, MECQ and GCQ with Heightened Restrictions, subject to the same conditions and obligations.

The limited face-to-face classes of medical clerks and postgraduate/medical interns in base hospitals shall not be affected by the implementation of granular lockdowns in any barangay, municipality, city or province. (CHED) -rir