Summary.
The draft bill proposes amendments to Law 53 of August 5, 2008, which regulates respiratory therapy. It defines a respiratory therapy technician as a health professional with at least three years of university study in respiratory care who works under a medical prescription and educates patients and their families. A respiratory therapy graduate holds a degree requiring at least four years of university study and evaluates, treats, provides specialized care, and participates in programs for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions. Both categories would be reclassified automatically. It also defines specialists and holders of master’s and doctoral degrees in respiratory therapy, related studies, or higher education teaching, with qualifications from a national or foreign university that are validated or recognized in the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá).
Practice as a technician or graduate would require a professional license issued by the Public Health Technical Council (Consejo Técnico de Salud Pública). Applicants must be Panamanian, hold a science secondary school diploma and a university qualification, and submit academic records, proof of hospital clinical rotation, a health certificate, and an application through a lawyer. Basic professional or technical competency certification would also be required once the relevant Interinstitutional Council for Basic Certification (Consejo Interinstitucional de Certificación Básica) is operating. The Panamanian Respiratory Therapy Association would first review the documents; specialists and holders of master’s and doctoral degrees could apply for a license.
Public health institutions and other state institutions employing these professionals would periodically review the salary scale with the Association and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas), based on the Descriptive Manual of Health Worker Job Classes. The single scale would recognize continuous years of service and academic attainment. Respiratory therapy services would have national, regional, and local management, coordination, and supervisory posts filled through competitive merit selection. Postholders would receive additional compensation until a selected replacement arrives. Personnel assigned to hard-to-reach areas would receive a travel allowance equal to an additional 40 % of salary; those working in the listed high-risk areas would receive the additional payment provided by existing legislation.
The salary scale would be reviewed every three years, subject to a more favorable strike settlement or negotiation through the National Coordinating Body of Health Professional and Technical Associations (CONAGREPROTSA). The bill sets the starting point for the review period after a negotiated scale is adopted and makes these reviews independent of inflation-related increases decreed by the Central Government (Gobierno Central). Remuneration would account for specialties, master’s degrees, and doctorates. Respiratory therapy professionals must follow the Professional Code of Ethics (Código de Ética Profesional). The Public Health Technical Council would impose warnings, reprimands, fines, suspension or cancellation of a professional license, and sanctions under the Health Code (Código Sanitario). An Association committee would prepare a proposed ethics code within six (6) months for approval and publication by the Public Health Technical Council of the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud).
Subject to institutional capacity, technicians and graduates assigned to critical areas or extraordinary shifts would receive meals in hospitals operated by the Social Security Fund (Caja del Seguro Social), the Ministry of Health, and hospital boards. The Association would appoint a principal and alternate member to the Public Health Technical Council. The National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) would publish a consolidated text of Law 53 of 2008 in the Official Gazette; the proposed law would commence upon promulgation. The provisions concern public health institutions, hospital boards, respiratory therapy professionals, hospitals, and patients.
What it proposes.
- Respiratory therapy professional categories and licensing.
- Salary scales, posts, and compensation in public institutions.
- Professional ethics, sanctions, and representation.
Who it would affect.
- Respiratory therapy technicians and graduates.
- Respiratory therapy specialists and holders of master’s and doctoral degrees.
- Public health institutions and hospital boards.
Key points.
- Redefines the technician, graduate, and postgraduate professional categories in respiratory therapy.Art. 2
- Requires a license from the Public Health Technical Council and specifies the application documents and procedure.Art. 3
- Provides for salary scale reviews and recognition of continuous service and academic attainment.Art. 4
- Creates management, coordination, and supervisory posts filled through competitive merit selection, with additional compensation for the post.Art. 5
- Provides a travel allowance of 40 % of salary for hard-to-reach areas and the statutory additional payment for high-risk areas.Art. 6
- Sets salary scale reviews every three years, subject to more favorable settlements or negotiations, and accounts for postgraduate qualifications in remuneration.Arts. 7-8
- Governs compliance with the Professional Code of Ethics, sanctions, and preparation of a proposed code.Art. 9
- Provides meals for specified assignments, representation before the Public Health Technical Council, and publication of a consolidated text.Arts. 10-12