Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL, NO. 3323 —

Introduced by Representa‘iv Jefferson F. Khonghun

AN ACT ESTABLISHING MUL'"I-SPECIALTY HOSPITALS IN
DIFFERENT REGIONS TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO SPECIALIZED
CARE AND APPRIOPRIA““ING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXFLANATORY NOTE

‘An ideal healthcare consists of quality, affordability and accessibility. Hence,
jt is important that we loo}, at “he ways in which it can be made accessible for
the constituents we serve

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Ma-cos Jr.’s initiative to strengthen the
healthcare system capacity, and to build more: specialty hospitals in other
, was mentioned during his first state of the n
According to him, one of the cornerstones of a strong
re system is the provision of competent and efficient medical
onals.

With this mandate, we should exert all efforts to improve the welfare of our
doctors, nurses, ani other medical fvontliners anid to buiid specialty hospitals
ail over the country’, It is imperative that patients seeking medical care need
not travel all the way to Metro Manila to seek assistance from multispecialty
hospitals, including the Philippine Heart Cen :cr, the Lung Center of the
Philippines and th2 National Kidney Transplant Institute. Our people from.
far-flung provinces will greatly benefit from -:ae establishment of multi-
specialty hospitals within their region

Senate Bill (SB) 93 intended to provide all Tiipinos with easie
specialized medical care, giving prior ty to those residing in far-flung regions,
Under the said bill, four Metro Manila specialty hospitals must establish



satelite hospitals in identified regions to operate and manage according to
their respective charters.

Akin to SB 93, this proposed legislation seeks to establish specialty hospital
across the regions of the Philippines for ease of access to patients located
therein. This is not to discredit the efficacy of hospitals and clinics, as well as
the doctors stationed outside of Metro Manila, but the stigma lingers on; it is
a teelity that must be overturned by them.

In the meantime, this bill unloads the durden on the :yart of our already ailing
citizens; that instead of having to travel to specialty hospitals in Metro Manila
and neighboring cities and municipalities, our citizens may avail of efficient
and competent treatments of specialty hospitals trat could potentially be
established in their regions.

Moreover, this bill seeks to invite back our nurses and medicai practitioners
who are based abroad. With the projected ‘gresence of these regional specialty
hospitals, it is positive that all of our citizens will receive the same efficient
and competent treatments that they provided to their foreign patients. In the
same vein, the country has lost a lot cf its health workers due to the COVID-
19 pandemic. It is for this reason that this proposed legistation stands as ast
encouragement to our educational instit ations to produce more health care
workers and medical practitioners for they may soon be housed under the
said regional specialty hospitals

bill is carnestly sought.

the approval of thi

Khonghun

Hon. Jeffe
i Zambales

1st Dé


~ 3323

AN ACT ESTABLISHING MULTI-SPECIALTY HOSPITALS IN
DIFFERENT REGIONS TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO
SPECIALIZED CARE AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS

VHEREFOR

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 “Multi-
Speciaity Hospitals in Different Regions Act of 2022.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. —- Well-enshrined in the 1987
Constitution is the mandate of the State to pro‘ect and promote the right to
health of the people and instill health conscionsness among them. In doing
so, the State shall adopt an integre.ted and comprehensive approach to health
development by providing them specialized ‘aealth services, which shall be
le and accessible to all tre people at affordable cost. There shall be
priority for the needs of the unc.erprivileged sick, elderly, disabled, women,

avai

and children.

is in Different

SECTION 3. iffe
Regions. There shall pe established a mult'-specialty hospital in every region
of the Philippines, which shall be under the direct control and supervision of
the Department of Hvalth (DCH)

The following specialt:; hospitals are mandated to establish a muti-

2stablishm ent of Mu

specialty hospital in every identified region to be managed and operated

pursuant to their respective charters:

1) Philippine Heart Center created under Presidential Decree No.
673;
2) National Kidney aad ‘Transplarit Institute created under

Presicential 14 Decree No. 1



3

Lung Center of the Philippines created under Presidential Decree
No. 16 1823; and

Philippine Children’s Mecical Center created under Presidential
Decree No. 1631

4)

Provided, That these specialty hospitals must formulate prioritization
plans for the purpose of implementing this Act, giving priority to provinces
which are geographicaily isolated from their region's tertiary care hospital, or
those without a regional tertiary care hospital

Nothing in this Act shall be construed as restricting the right of the
Depastment of Health (DOH) to estalilish specialty hospitals or specialized

units in DOH hospitals in different regions.

SECTION 4. Period of Inpleme tation. “The establishment of at least
one (1) multi-specialty hospital in ‘den tified regions shall be completed over a
period of five (5) years: Provided, That payments for amortization of

1g multi-year contract obligations incurred under this Act may

beyond this period

SECTION 5. Report to Congress. -Within one hundred twenty (120) days
from the effectivity of thir; Act, the executive directors of the specialty hospitals
shall present a report to Congress identifying the regions where the multi-
specialty hospitals will ‘ve constructed and detailing the construction plan of

y hespitals, together with the hospital development plan.

For this purpos2, the Congress shall establish a Joint Congressional

Cversight Committee com osed of five (5) members of each house to be
aopointed by the Senate Pres dent ard the House Speaker, respectively, to
determine whether such acts. orders, rules and regulations are within the

restrictions provided herein.

SECTION 6. Sur'set Rev iew. -As the need arises or within five (5) years


after its effectivity, the Congressional Oversight Committee shall conduct a
systematic evaluation of the accomplishments and impact of this Act for

purposes of determining remedial legislation.

SECTION 7. Appropriations. ~The amount necessary for the
implementation of the provisions of this Act shal] be taken from the current

yea

's budget of the specialty hospitais enumerated in Section 3 of this Act.
‘Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation

of this Act shall be incorporated in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regul inety (90)
days from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health, in coordination
with the specialty hospitals enumerated in Section 3 hereof, shall promulgate

the rules and regulations implementing the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - Should any part of this Act be
declared unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions hereof that are not

affected therehy shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, rules and regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof which
are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed, amended

or modified accordingly.

(15)

following the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in

newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,