FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
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Senate Bill No. 629 .. /$ ~\ i 1:' lV") H"~ 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The government's efforts to reform the health sector have been set in 
place. through several innovative projects and programs aimed at providing the 
people with comprehensive health services. The partiCipation of local 
government units has been tapped to make health care services more affordable 
and accessible. 
However, the fact remains that sophisticated and advanced hospital and 
medical equipment and facilities are found in highly urbanized cities, so much so 
that patients from the rural areas have to travel all the way to these urban cities 
just to avail themselves of advanced medical treatment. The high costs of 
treatment and the. additional travel expenses are financially draining particularly 
for patients that need treatment on a regular and sustained basis. This is 
especially true for patients who are suffering from kidney disorder who have to 
undergo,dialysis treatment regularly . 
. In consonance with the constitutional mandate to make health services 
available to all the people at affordable cost, this bill requires all national, regional 
and provincial government hospitals to establish, operate and maintain a dialysis 
ward or unit in their respective hospital in order that dialysis treatment will be 
available and accessible to the people especially those in the rural areas in a 
cost effective manner. Moreover, this bill' requires that dialysis treatment should 
be provided to indigent patients, free of charge. 
For more efficient delivery of health care services to the Filipino people, 
the immediate approval of this proposed measure is earnestly urged. 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
629 
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INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
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: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Dialysis 
Center Act". 
SEC. 2. Declarat/on of Policy. - it is the declared policy of the State to 
improve the delivery of health care services to the people and to ensure hospital 
facilities are available, affordable and accessible to the people. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following 
terms shall mean: 
A. "Secretary" shall refer to the Secretary of the Department of Health; 
B. "National Government Hospital" shall refer to a hospital operated and 
maintained either partially or wholly by the national government or by 
any department, diviSion, board or other agency thereof. 
C. "Regional Government Hospital" shall refer to a hospital operated and 
maintained either partially or wholly by the national government or by any 
department, diviSion, board or other agency thereof. 
D. "Provincial Government Hospital" shall refer to a hospital operated and 
maintained either partially or wholly by the provincial government or other 
political subdivision, or by any department diVision, board or other agency 
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thereof; and 
E. "Indigent Patient" shall refer to a patient whose combined annual family 
income does not exceed Thirty Thousand (P30,OOO.OO) annually. 
SEC. 4. Establishment, Operation and Maintenance of a Dialysis 
Ward or Unit. - Within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, all national, 
regional, and provincial government hospitals are hereby required to establish, 
operate and maintain a dialysis ward or unit in their hospital. The dialysis ward or 
unit shall be equipped with complete dialysis machine, equipment and supplies. 


SEC. 5. Free Dialysis Treatment to Indigent Patients. - Dialysis 
treatment in all national, regional and provincial government hospitals shall be 
provided free of charge to indigent patients as defined in Section 3 (E) hereof. 
SEC. 6. Penalty. - Any hospital chief, administrator or officer-in-charge 
who fails to comply with this Act shall be punished with a fine of Fifty Thousand 
Pesos (P50,000.00) but not more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(P100,000.00). 
SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary shall 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of 
this Act. 
SEC. 8. Appropriations. - Such amount as may be necessary to 
implement the provisions of this Act is hereby authorized to be appropriated from 
the National Treasury. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the government hospital's annual 
appropriations. 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, 
modified or amended accordingly. 
SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - If any part, section, or provision of this 
Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, no other part, section or provision 
hereof shall be affected thereby. 
SEC. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
pUblication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,