.c»,
NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
S. No
SENATE
530
oC tl)r ^’rnci.ui
*22 JUL13 P3 -05
RECEIVED BV:
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA A. VILLAR
AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT 
HOSPITALS TO ESTABLISH, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A DIALYSIS WARD 
OR UNIT IN THEIR RESPECTIVE HOSPITAL AND PROVIDING FREE 
DIALYSIS TREATMENT TO INDIGENT PATIENTS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
One out of 10 adults have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) worldwide. To make 
matters worse, mortality rate due to kidney disease is increasing annually. It is 
projected to be the fifth leading cause of death by 2040.
As of March 3, 2022, the Philippines has a population of more than 112 
million. In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that 3.5 percent of total 
deaths in the country are due to CKD. The 10th leading cause of mortality in the 
Philippines in 2020, kidney failure is one of the leading causes of hospitalization. For 
the past decade, prevalence of dialysis has increased to approximately 400 percent.1
At the beginning of what would become one of the world's longest lockdowns, 
the country's largest tertiary and training hospital, Philippine General Hospital (PGH), 
was converted to a Covid-19 referral center on March 30, 2020. This resulted to the 
closure of the outpatient department that caters to a number of Chronic Kidney 
Disease patients. Other government outpatient nephrology clinics and even private 
ones ceased operations due to nationwide restrictions imposed. The National Kidney 
and Transplant Institute, which houses the largest government hemodialysis facility.
https://mb.com.ph/2022/03/08/kidney-health-for-all/


sought assistance as they could no longer accommodate the increasing cases of 
dialysis patients afflicted with the virus. Furthermore, kidney transplantation 
procedures were halted.
Patients suffering from kidney ailment who are living in provinces could not 
afford the expenses of traveling all the way to urban cities to seek dialysis treatment 
and the high cost of the procedure itself, which is needed on a regular and sustained 
basis. The optimum frequency of dialysis is three times a week, but because of its 
cost and inaccessibility, some patients settle with less, thus causing their health to 
deteriorate rapidly. Worse, seme patients die without being given a chance to 
undergo dialysis because they could not afford it.
This attached bill provides that all national, regional and provincial 
government hospitals are required to establish, operate and maintain a dialysis ward 
or unit that will give free dialysis medical procedure to indigent patients. The aim of 
this bill is in consonance with the Constitutional mandate to make health services 
available to our countrymen at an affordable cost and improve the delivery of 
healthcare services to the Filipino people.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly recommended.
AvyK
CYNTmA A. VILLAR


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 530
of tl)C
‘22 JUL13 P3 ‘05
RECEIVED BV:
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA A. VILLAR
AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT 
HOSPITALS TO ESTABLISH, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A DIALYSIS WARD 
OR UNIT IN THEIR RESPECTIVE HOSPITAL AND PROVIDING FREE 
DIALYSIS TREATMENT TO INDIGENT PATIENTS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "D'alysis Center Act".
2 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to improve
3 
the delivery of health care services to the people and to ensure hospital facilities are
4 
available, affordable and accessible to the people.
5 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms
6 
shall mean:
8
9
10
a) 
Secretary refers to the Secretary of the Department of Health;
b) 
National Governn.ent Hospital refers to a hospital operated and 
maintained either partially or wholly by the national government or by 
any department, division, board or other agency thereof;


1 
c) 
Regional Government Hospital refers to a hospital operated and
2 
maintained either partially or wholly by the national government or by
3 
any department, division, board or other agency thereof;
4 
d) 
Provincial Government Hospital refers to a hospital operated and
5 
maintained either partially or wholly by the provindai government or
6 
other political subdivision, or by any department division, board or
7 
other agency thereof; and
8 
e) 
Indigent Patient refers to a patient who has no visible means of
9 
income, compensation or financial assistance from his/her relatives to
10 
support his/her basic needs, as determined by the Department of
11 
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
12 
Sec. 4. Establishment, Operation and Maintenance of a Dialysis Ward or Unit
13 
- Within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, all national, regional, and
14 
provincial government hospitals are hereby required to establish, operate and
15 
maintain a dialysis ward or unit in their hospital. The dialysis ward or unit shall be
16 
equipped with complete dialysis machine, equipment and supplies.
17 
Sec. 5. Free Dialysis Treatment to Indigent Patients. - Dialysis treatment in all
18 
national, regional and provincial government hospitals shall be provided free of
19 
charge to indigent patients as defined in Section 3 (e) hereof.
20 
Sec. 6. Penalty. - Any hospital chief, administrator or officer-in-charge who
21 
fails to comply with this Act shall be punished with a fine of Fifty Thousand Pesos
22 
(P50,000.00) but not more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00).
23 
Sec. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary shall
24 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this
25 
Act.
26 
Sec. 8. Appropriations. - Such amount as may be necessary to implement the
27 
provisions of this Act is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National


1 
Treasury. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous implementation of
2 
this Act shall be included in the government hospitafs annual appropriations.
3 
Sec. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
4 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected
5 
shall remain valid and subsisting.
6 
Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - All law, presidential decrees or issuance,
7 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary
8 
to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed,
9 
modified or amended accordingiv.
10 
Sec. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
11 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the
12 
Philippines.
13 
Approved,