Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives RECEIVED.
Quezon City, Metro Manila 16 ay ZU
DATE:
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regula ssion.

House Bit no, 4484

Introduced by Rep. Dale “Along” R. Malapitan

Explanatory Note

This bill seeks to increase the bed capacity intended for tertiary general
hospital use of Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium
located in Tala, Caloocan City from two hundred (200) to eight hundred (800)
beds, thereby amending the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 9420

The Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium, also referred to
as Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital (DJNRMH), was established in
1940 as Central Luzon Sanitarium for the treatment of patients with leprosy.
By virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 161, an eight hundred eight (808)
hectares of land at Tala Estate was declared as reservation and resettlement
area for hansenites and their immediate families. Currently, due to a change
of policies, the area was reduced to one hundred thirty (130) hectares in order
to accommodate previous homeless treated patients who eventually settled
and established their own community therein.

In 1975, due to exigencies at the time, some wards of the hospital were opened
to admit non-leprosy patients, By 1990, progressive expansion of services
were effected by the hospital in order to meet the growing medical needs of
the general public, concomitant with the leprosy treatment and control
responsibilities of the institution. A re-direction of the sanitarium became
imperative in 1993 which officially led to the delivery of medical services even
to Non-Hansen patients. And in 2007, premised on the growing number of in-
patients and out-patients needing tertiary health care, Republic Act No. 9420
was passed into law, converting two hundred (200) beds of the 2,000-bed Dr.
Jose N, Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium for “Tertiary General
Health Care.”

At present, the hospital serves as the principal referral hospital for leprosy
patients and the premier training and research center for leprosy care and
management in Luzon. It also provides general care services to a large
catchment population size covering that of Caloocan City, nearby areas of
Quezon City and some municipalities of Bulacan. It conducts other services
such as physical therapy, radiology, laboratory, medical-social services and
assistance.



As of this year, since the commencement of President Rodrigo Duterte’s
administration and the provision of free OPD and ER Consultation, marked
the sudden and sustained increased in the number of patients’ treatment and
the total number of admitted in-patients. Hereunder are some statistics
provided by DJNRMH:

OED: ) CONSULTATIONS

2013 a 2015 As of Sept. 2016]

63,600 : 131,067 203,750 |
[2013 | ‘As of Sept. 2016]
{ 55,333 | 59,537

[Referred Out |

(Referred In_|
RADIOLOGY ee
~ 2014 “As of Sept. 2016 |
17,165 19,585
ULTRA‘ .
2013 2014 ‘As of Sept. 2016
4,114 3,901 5,023 | 4,025
345,436 375; 565
~ TYPE OF “2014 | 2015 As of Sept. 2016 |
OPERATION __ |
|____ Elective 1,252 | 2 1,784
lergency _ 77 2,758 3,104

[ 2013
{ 903

201
~1,687

"3198

A quick perusal of the above facts and statistics would easily impress the
qualification of DJNRMH for an increase of its bed capacity for tertiary general
health care. The consistent annual increase in the number of admitted
patients which far exceeds the upper limit of 85% bed capacity rate as
required by the principles and criteria set by the Department of Health in
2013 for evaluating proposals for increasing hospital bed capacity, and the
large catchment population size the hospital serves are enough justifications
for this piece of legislation to receive the esteemed support of Congress.


Thus, premised on the foregoing, it is the urgent appeal of the author that
this measure be approved immediately.

HON. oak “ALO! R. MALAPITAN


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

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 4484

Introduced by Honorable Dale “Along” R. Malapitan

AN ACT
INCREASING THE BED CAPACITY FOR TERTIARY GENERAL
HEALTH CARE OF DR. JOSE N. RODRIGUEZ MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
AND SANITARIUM FROM TWO HUNDRED (200) TO EIGHT
HUNDRED (800) BEDS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9420,
ENTITLED “AN ACT CONVERTING TWO HUNDRED (200) BEDS OF
THE 2,000-BED DR. JOSE N. RODRIGUEZ MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
AND SANITARIUM FOR TERTIARY GENERAL HEALTH CARE,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

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

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Republic Act 9420 is hereby amended to read
as follows:

“SECTION 1. [Two hundred (200)] EIGHT HUNDRED (800) beds of the
2,000-bed Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium located
in Tala, Caloocan City are hereby converted for tertiary general hospital use.”

“THE INCREASE IN BED CAPACITY OF DR. JOSE N. RODRIGUEZ
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND SANITARIUM FROM TWO HUNDRED (200) TO
EIGHT HUNDRED (800) BEDS SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED FOR A PERIOD
OF NOT MORE THAN FOUR (4) YEARS FROM THE APPROVAL OF THIS
ACT.”

SECTION 2. Section 2 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as
follows:

“SEC, 2. The Secretary of Health shall include in the Department's
program the operationalization of the [two hundred (200)] EIGHT HUNDRED
(800) beds of the 2,000-bed Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and
Sanitarium for tertiary general health care, the initial funding of which shall
be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the hospital.


‘Thereafter, the funds necessary for its continued operation shall be included
in the annual General Appropriations Act.”

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after completion
of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,