Absolutely no one wants to figure in any accident nor find themselves in other unfortunate situations. Due to our natural instinct for self-preservation, we go out of our way to keep ourselves and our families secure from any form of harm or danger.
There are, however, situations when despite our best efforts to steer clear of any harm, we are nonetheless confronted at times by these kind of sticky situations. Be it in the form of a hit and run incident, a vehicular collision, a work-related injury, a brawl, or just plain negligence by other people, there are just some things that we cannot have full control of.
When these unfortunate things happen, what do you do?
In this regard, it pays to be smart and knowledgeable of the steps you need to take quickly after surviving any of these kind of incidents. It is important to keep your focus in order to rectify the situation by holding those at fault accountable for their actions. Apart from reporting the incident to the proper authorities, another key step is securing a medical certificate for medico-legal cases.
What is a medical certificate for medico-legal cases?
A medical certificate for medico-legal cases provides the medical findings by the doctor of the injuries you sustained as a result, say, of an accident or a crime. It is issued following the medical assessment conducted on your person, if possible immediately following the incident, by a medical professional.
A medical certificate for medico-legal cases is important for two reasons: first, it serves as a proof of your physical and mental state following the incident; and second, it has evidentiary value in case you decide to bring the matter to the court. A medico legal certificate it is useful insofar as the substantiation of your allegations, as well as your claims for compensatory, actual, and moral damages are concerned.
Where do you get a medico legal certificate?
Any hospital may issue a medico legal certificate. However, police authorities recommend securing one from a public hospital. The reason for this is that in court proceedings, lawyers would normally go to great lengths to impugn the validity of a medico legal certificate issued by a private hospital or clinic. Since a certification issued by a private entity is neither a public nor official record, it is possible that its presentation in court may be contested on the ground of it being an unofficial and private document that may or may not have been tampered with, thereby bringing the issue of its genuiness to the surface and consequently delaying the proceedings.
In contrast, a medical certificate for medico-legal cases issued by any public Philippine hospital is considered an official document. As a result, it cannot be easily impugned in court, if at all.
Here are the steps on how to secure a medical certificate for medico-legal cases:
It is best to secure a medico legal certificate for medico-legal cases immediately after the incident. If you were the victim of, say, a hit and run incident or you're with someone who was hit, go to the nearest public hospital for immediate medical attention. This is to ensure accuracy of the assessment of your injuries. Having an assessment made a few days later may mean the results are not going to be accurate anymore, as some of your wounds may have either healed already by then or gotten worse than they were originally.
In hospitals, the situation of the patient would normally be assessed first at the triage section. Here, the victim or his/her companion would be assessed and asked questions about the incident and the patient's current physical state. This is to determine the urgency of the case and see if the victim may be given priority ahead of the others who came in first. Otherwise, if the injuries are not life-threatening or as urgent as those of others present, then you may need to wait for your number to be called.
Note that most public hospitals in the Philippines have limited resources. Due to inadequate budget from the national government leading to inadequate facilities, many of the health professionals in public hospitals are faced with extreme conditions, and all this in the midst of a deluge of patients seeking cheap healthcare. This is immediately noticeable upon entering the hospital premises, where doctors and nurses run about constantly dealing with multiple patients at any one time.
2. Have medical treatment.
Depending on your current physical or emotional state, the attending physician and nurses would need to perform procedures to get you sorted out. Know that in most, if not all, public hospitals, services are free. If costs are involved, they tend to be very minimal as opposed to costs in private hospitals and clinics.
Note, however, that while most medical services are free, some of the medication needed, such as prescription drugs and vaccines, may not be so. In any event, should costs get prohibitive, there are financial assistance measures in place for indigent patients. Ask the hospital about this.
3. Request for medical certificate for medico-legal cases.
A medical certificate for medico-legal cases is issued usually a day after the patient's discharge from the hospital. Otherwise, the hospital staff will let you know when to pick up your certificate. Details of your physical condition, as well as your treatment and medication, are forwarded to the Records Section, which is responsible for the issuance of such certificate.
4. Proceed to the Records Section.
Go to the Records Section of the hospital. Here, you will be asked for your name and date of admission. The staff will then look for your records in their logbooks and then type in the doctor's notes on the medical certificate for medico-legal cases.
5. Pay the certificate fee.
Before your medical certificate for medico-legal cases is issued, you would first need to pay a fee of P50 at the cashier's booth. Present the receipt back to the Records Section to claim your certificate.
IMPORTANT: Public hospitals will issue only one medico-legal certificate, the original of which will be given to you. The original cannot be replaced nor can a duplicate be issued in the future. In case of loss or damage, the hospital will not issue a copy of it. So in this regard, should you wish to furnish a copy of your medico-legal certificate to the police or your lawyer, make sure to give photocopies while you keep the original.