Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

ECEIVED
1 4

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

7399

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: Honorable Arcadio H. Gorriceta

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Western Visayas Sanitarium, one of the retained-hospital of the Department of Health
in Santa Barbara, Iloilo is way forward to a century of existence. It was established in 1927
for treatment of leprosy patients in the time when persons affected with the disease were kept
and isolated to the general public.

With the introduction of the Multi-Drug-Therapy regimen for leprosy in 1995, the
prevalence rate of leprosy has consistently been less than one per 10,000 people. In the past
20 years, the number of new cases continued to dwindle down which necessitated the
Department of Health to reassess the functions of its DOH Sanitaria. As a result, the
Department issued Administrative Order 2005-0013 in 2005 that expanded the role of its
sanitaria to provide general health care services including Western Visayas Sanitarium.

‘The dual role of providing leprosy custodial care and general health care take a toll on
limited resources of Western Visayas Sanitarium as to finance, facilities and manpower.
Presently, the hospital is licensed as a Level 1 Hospital with authorized bed capacity of 300
and with implementing beds of 200. It maintains 68 custodial leprosy cases and caters to an
average of 130-170 admitted patients for general health care services and an average of 200
out-patient daily consultations under the following services: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics,
Obstetrics-Gynecology, Surgery and Family Medicine.

The Western Visayas Sanitarium currently functions as a tertiary healthcare facility
given the increasing trend from 2013 to present in out-patient consultations, admissions,
surgeries, deliveries, laboratory and radiology services reflected in the succeeding table:

As of the
Services Offered 2013 2014 2015 2016 3" Quarter

of 2017
OPD Consultations 24,459 25,525 32,354 38,259 33,252
Admissions 3,862 4,378 6,253 9,104 6,096
Surgeries 423 462 701 2,218 1,560



Deliveries 460 632 953 1,107 893
Laboratory Services 57,814 61,373 79,704 96,401 87,968
Radiology Services 4918 6,393 8,817 11,762 12,469

This bill mandates the expansion of Western Visayas Sanitarium into a sanitarium and
general hospital to provide efficient general hospital services and develop specialized
services while upholding its original mandate for leprosy prevention, treatment, control, and
rehabilitation. This would improve the availability of professional healthcare for marginal

and poor patients in the region.

In view of the foregoing considerations, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought

ARCADIE

GORRICETA



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

7399

HOUSE BILL NO.|

Introduced by: Honorable Arcadio H. Gorriceta

AN ACT EXPANDING THE MANDATE OF THE WESTERN VISAYAS
SANITARIUM IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SANTA BARABARA, ILOILO INTO A
SANITARIUM AND GENERAL HOSPITAL AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Western Visayas Sanitarium
Expansion and Development Act”.

SEC. 2. Sanitarium Expansion. Western Visayas Sanitarium located in Brgy. Inangayan,
Santa Barbara, Iloilo is hereby expanded to a sanitarium and general hospital to be known as
Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital

SEC. 3. Continued Service and Assistance to Leprosy Patients. The primary mandate of
Western Visayas Sanitarium for leprosy treatment, management and prevention shall
continue to the interest of the patients being treated under the Leprosy Control Program.

SEC. 4. Expansion Committee. There shall be an Expansion Committee, hereinafter referred
to as a Committee, which shall be constituted by the Department of Health (DOH) in
coordination with the Regional Health Office VI, the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM), Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital Chief which shall promulgate the
following:

a) Expansion Plan. The Committee shall come up with an expansion and
development scheme which shall among others include the infrastructure,
equipment and land improvement.

b) Organizational and Staffing Pattern . The organizational structure and staffing
pattern of Sulu Sanitarium and General Hospital shall be determined by the
Committee subject to evaluation by the Health Human Resource Development
Bureau and Health Facility Development Bureau of the Department of Health, and
the Department of Budget and Management.


SEC. 5. Upgrading of Health Service Facilities. The Department of Health shall determine
the service capability of Wester Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital and allow the
development and upgrading of general hospital services or specialized services.

SEC. 6. Transfer of Assets and Liabilities. Facilities, land and buildings, and equipment
acquired by the Western Visayas Sanitarium including its documents, medical and non-
medical records, liabilities and obligations are hereby transferred to the Western Visayas
Sanitarium and General Hospital

SEC. 7. Security of Tenure. The position, seniority and security and other rights of tenure of
medical and non-medical personne! of the Western Visayas Sanitarium shall continue to be
honored under the Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital.

SEC. 8. Implementation. implementation of this Act shall not be more than three 3 years
from the approval.

SEC 9. Appropriations. The Department of Health shall immediately include in its programs
the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 10. Supplementary Funding. The Department of Health, in coordination with
Regional Office VI and local government units, shall also prepare mechanisms for sourcing
supplementary funds to augment its operations.

SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, rules and regulations inconsistent with this
Act shall be deemed amended or repealed accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

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