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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

517

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative GERALDINE B. ROMAN

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to require all provincial governments to establish,
operate and maintain an intensive care unit (ICU) in their respective provincial
hospitals.

Section 11, Article XIII of the 1987 Constitution provides that:

“Sec. 11. The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health
development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social
services available to all the people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the
needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, disabled, women and children. The State
shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers.”

Health development is one of the pressing and urgent concems of the
government because of the primordial importance of health to people.

Provincial hospitals which are established, operated and maintained by
provinces and duly licensed by the Department of Health are primarily devoted for
medical diagnosis, treatment and care of patients suffering from diseases, injuries and
other medical conditions. With the rising number of critically ill patients who require
hospital confinement, it is disheartening to note that many of them cannot avail of the
much-needed medical care. The unavailability of intensive care units (ICUs)in some
provincial hospitals which are deemed critical in saving a person from suffering
permanent disability or even the loss of life should be addressed. Based on the 2015
list of licensed government and private hospitals prepared by the Health Facilities
and Services Regulatory Bureau of the Department of Health, there are existing
provincial hospitals without ICUs.


‘An ICU serves as an exclusive and specialized treatment area in which
patients requiring close monitoring, continuous attention and intensive critical care
are kept. An ICU contains highly technical monitoring devices and equipment and is
staffed by personnel trained to deliver critical care.

To ensure efficient, accessible and affordable medical services to critically ill
patients, it is imperative to require all provincial governments to provide general
intensive care units in their respective provincial hospitals. The amount needed for
the establishment of this proposed measure shall be taken from the proceeds of the
incremental revenues collected from the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products
as provided under Republic Act No. 10351, allocated for medical assistance and
health enhancement facilities program of the Department of Health.

This proposed measure also seeks to create plantilla positions for the qualified
and competent intensive care unit specialist and medical staff to ensure that the
special critical care intended for critically ill patients can be adequately attended to.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Caxton
(GERALDINE B, ROMAN


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.__°2?

Introduced by Representative GERALDINE B. ROMAN

AN ACT

REQUIRING ALL PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS TO ESTABLISH,
OPERATE AND MAINTAIN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN THEIR
RESPECTIVE PROVINCIAL HOSPITALS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. -This Act shall be known as the “Intensive Care
Unit Act.”

SEC.2. Declaration of Policy.— It is hereby declared the policy of the
State to provide equal health opportunities and greater resources to help all people
achieve optimal health and well-being. Towards this end, it is imperative that every
provincial government shall establish, operate and maintain an intensive care unit in
its provincial hospital to provide the highest level of medical and nursing care for
patients with serious medical conditions.

SEC.3. Establishment, Operation and Maintenance of an Intensive

Care Unit. — To address the need for treating critically ill patients, each provincial


government shall provide a general intensive care unit in its provincial hospital which
has no existing intensive care unit (ICU).

The Department of Health shall provide guidelines and criteria for the
establishment of a general intensive care unit in these provincial hospitals.

‘The operation and maintenance of the general intensive care units including
the salaries of the assigned intensive care unit specialist and medical staff in the
general ICU of provincial hospitals shall be the responsibility of the provincial
government.

SEC. 4. Plantilla Positions for ICU Medical Staff. — The plantilla
positions for the assignment of one (1) intensive care unit specialist and at least two
(2) medical staff shall be created in every provincial hospital in order to effectively
render specialized medical services to critically ill patients.

The appointment of the intensive care unit specialist and medical staff
assigned to the ICU shall be subject to the applicable civil service rules and
regulations.

SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within six (6) months
from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall, in consultation with the
Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, formulate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of the provisions of this Act.

SEC.6. Appropriations.— The amount necessary for the establishment of
ICUs in all provincial hospitals without existing ICUs shall be taken from the
proceeds of the incremental revenues collected from the excise tax on alcohol and

tobacco products allocated for medical assistance and health enhancement facilities


program as provided under Subsection (C), Section 288 of the National Internal

Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, rules and
regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the

provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 8. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,