Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatines
uezon Gly, Aetes Mlailn

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

581s
House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY
REP. ALFRED VARGAS

AN ACT
PROVIDING A STANDARD OF CARE FOR THE TREATMENT OF
PERSONS WITH BLEEDING DISORDERS, ESTABLISHING TREATMENT
CENTERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

An indiyidual with a bleeding disorder results to longer bleeding, and
random bleeding in muscles, joints, and other areas of the human body. This
is caused by a blood clotting deficiency.

There is an estimated number of 10,000 Filipinos that have Hemophilia
but only 1,500 have been registered under the Philippine Hemophilia
Foundation. About 1 million Filipinos suffer from Von Willebrand disease
(VWD), a genetic caused by missing or defective clotting protein known as the
von Willebrand factor (VWF). This disease is known to affect both sexes, but
women have higher chances to experience VWD due to menstrual periods,
pregnancies, and post-childbirths. Unfortunately, only 20 individuals have
been registered to have VWD in the Philippines.

According to the Hemophilia Advocates Philippines, majority of the
patients suffer from the disorder are living below the poverty line, and
experience limited to no access to medicines, facilities, and professional help
leaving them undiagnosed. For some, this is also caused by the lack of
awareness of the symptoms due to the lack of education.

The minimal access to medical care is a grave concern, and the
treatments for the disorders are expensive. A case of mild bleeding in the
joints can cost around Php 30,000 to Php 50,000 per treatment. While
treating severe cases would cost hundreds of thousands to millions of pesos.


Furthermore, the lack of treatment facilities that cater to this disease
force patients from rural areas to travel to urban centers for aid.

Thus, there is an urgent need for the State to include hemophilia care
in the national health agenda.

This bill provides for the establishment of hemophilia treatment
facilities in key cities, regions in the Philippines to provide a more accessible
and affordable medical care.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sopght.

‘ALFRED VARGAS


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

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

. 5815
House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY
REP. ALFRED VARGAS

AN ACT
PROVIDING A STANDARD OF CARE FOR THE TREATMENT OF
PERSONS WITH BLEEDING DISORDERS, ESTABLISHING TREATMENT
CENTERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Bleeding Disorder
Standards of Care Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State:
(1) To ensure the adequate treatment of hemophilia at the lowest possible
cost and endeavor to make them available for free to indigent patients;

(2) To ensure the establishment of treatment centers in public hospitals;
and

(3) To establish a standard of care so that patients with severe bleeding
disorders can receive necessary and appropriate medical care.

SEC. 3. Definitions. - For the purposes of this Act, the term:

(1) Bleeding Disorder refers to a medical condition characterized by
severe deficiency or absence of one or more essential blood clotting
proteins in the human blood, often called factors, including all forms of
hemophilia, Von Willebrand disease and other bleeding disorders which
result in uncontrollable bleeding or abnormal blood clotting.


(2) Blood Clotting Product refers to an intravenously-administered
medicine manufactured from human plasma, recombinant
biotechnology techniques and other processes, approved for
distribution by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) and which is used
for the treatment and prevention of symptoms associated with bleeding
disorders. This term includes, but is not limited to:

. Factor Vila, Factor VII and Factor IX products;

. Von Willebrand Factor products;

. Prothrombin complex concentrates;

. Activated prothrombin complex concentrates;

. Other products approved by the BFAD for the treatment of

bleeding disorders and associated inhibitors.

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(3) Indigent Patient refers to any Filipino citizen afflicted with any
serious. illness and/ or injury needing immediate confinement and
treatment in a. hospital and whose income is below the subsistence
level

(4) DOH refers to the Department of Health.

(5) BFAD refers to the Bureau of Food and Drugs.

(6) Hemophilia refers to a human bleeding disorder caused by a hereditary
deficiency of the Factor VIII, Factor IX or Factor X! blood clotting protein
in human blood.

(7) Von Willebrand Disease refers to a human bleeding disorder caused
by a hereditary deficiency or abnormality of the von Willebrand Factor
in the human blood.

SEC. 4. State Treatment Facilities. - The State shall establish hemophilia
treatment facilities in key cities and regions nationwide in designated
hospitals with Cancer and Hematology Departments.

Each Hemophilia Treatment Facility shall provide to all hemophilia
patients:

(1) Care by qualified hematologists and medical doctors shall be provided
free of charge, including the necessary blood clotting products and
ancillary infusion equipment necessary for the infusion of such blood
clotting products;


(2) A room exclusively for hemophilia patients; and

(3) A clinical coagulation laboratory for the screening, diagnosis,
provisional diagnosis, and treatment of bleeding disorders or suspected
bleeding disorders and such services shall be provided free of charge to
all indigent patients.

SEC. 5. Funding. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation of
this Act shall be sourced from the current budget of the Department of Health.
Thereafter, the funds necessary for the continuous implementation of this Act
in the ensuing years shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

The treatment facilities are allowed to use five percent (5%) of the amount
given for the maintenance of the rooms that will be used exclusively for
hemophilia patients. However, ninety percent (90%) of the amount shall be
used exclusively for necessary blood clotting products to hemophilia patients.
The remaining five percent (5%) shall be used for blood screening of
hemophilia patients.

Each treatment facility shall submit an annual report to the DOH on how the
amount given is used.

SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within sixty (60) days from
the approval of this Act, the Department of Health (DOH) shall, in consultation
with hemophilia advocacy groups, promulgate the Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR) to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC 7. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any provision of this Act is
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts of provisions hereof

which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in at least two (2) daily papers of national circulation.

Approved,