Republic af the Philippines
House of Representatines
Quezon City, Metra nila

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 8966

Introduced by Honorable 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:

comprehensive approach to health development which siijlendeavo}

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. me
The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers.” se

“Sec.ll. The State shall adopt an integrated wo

Health development is one of the pressing and urgent concerns 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

Bill Drafting Service


(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 IC’

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.

Leet D Gt Bram
ALDINE B, ROMAN



Republic af the Philippines
Hause of Representutines
@uozon City, Meteo Manila

Seventeenth Congress

First Regular Sessi

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Honorable Geraldine B. Roman

AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL PROVINCIAL GOVERN! iTS 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 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. ~ \t 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.

Bill Drafting Service


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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.


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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 aleohol 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

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3C.7. Repealing Clause, ~ All laws, decrees, orders, rules and

regulations, and other iss

uances, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the

provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly

SEC. 8. Effecti

— This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after

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

Approved,