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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE    ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES      ) 
First Regular Session      
 ) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
H.B. NO. _____ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE EMMARIE “LOLYPOP” OUANO-
DIZON 
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, 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
One of the primary causes of mortality among Filipinos is Chronic Kidney 
Disease. Every hour, one Filipino or about 120 Filipinos per million population dies 
because of kidney failure making it the 9th leading cause of death. The numbers 
continue to rise as experts noted that there is around 10-20 percent increase in the 
new patients undergoing dialysis in 2018. 
The optimum frequency of dialysis treatment is three times a week. But some 
Filipino patients would settle with once or twice a week because of its high cost and 
inaccessibility. In turn, their health would deteriorate progressively. Patients from 
remote areas, who are suffering from kidney disorder/kidney disease have to travel 
all the way to urban cities just to avail of the dialysis treatment which is needed on 
regular and sustained basis while some patients die without even the chance to 
undergo the treatment because they could not afford it.  
This bill seeks to establish facilities that would provide quality renal health 
service for Filipinos. It will also establish health facilities in the national, regional, 
and provincial levels that will give free dialysis for indigent Filipinos. It likewise 
July 26, 2022
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aims to increase the number of Filipino renal patients to undergo kidney transplant 
procedures by developing PhilHealth packages that would cover for their expenses. 
These packages extend to the living kidney donors including the cost of laboratory-
work-up, hospitalization, and all medications.  
 
This bill is in consonance with the mandate of the Constitution to make social 
services such as health affordable to all Filipinos, as stated in Section 11, Article 
XIII: 
 
“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.” 
 
  
Considering that the setting up of regional specialty hospitals is one of the 
expressed priorities of the new Administration as outlined in the State of the Nation  
Address of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., it is a timely measure that this House 
can push in the legislative mill.   
 
 
Hence, the early approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EMMARIE “LOLYPOP” OUANO-DIZON 
 
 
 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE EMMARIE “LOLYPOP” OUANO-
DIZON 
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 the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Dialysis Center Act”. 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the declared policy of the State to make 
available essential goods, health, and other social services to all citizens at affordable 
cost and to deliver medical care to indigents free of charge. Pursuant to this, the State 
shall continually improve the delivery of health services and hospital facilities to 
make those accessible to all. 
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Section 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
 
a) Dialysis Facility refers to a health facility that provides treatment for 
ESRD to indigent patients and disseminates information on the various 
forms of renal replacement therapy such as kidney transplantation, 
peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis; 
b) Indigent Patient refers to a patient with no source of income or whose 
income is not sufficient for family subsistence as identified and assessed 
by the social worker of the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD) or the social worker of the concerned local 
government unit; 
c) National, Regional, and Provincial Hospitals refer to hospitals and stand-
eralone dialysis facilities operated and maintained either partially or 
wholly by the national, regional, and provincial government or other 
political subdivisions, or any department, division, board, or agency 
thereof; 
d) Secretary refers to the Secretary of the Department of Health. 
 
Section 4. Establishment, Operation, and Maintenance of Dialysis Service Wards 
or Units in National, Regional, Provincial Government Hospitals. – Within two (2) 
years from the effectivity of this Act, strategic national, regional, and provincial 
government hospitals, shall establish, operate, and maintain a dialysis service facility 
in their hospitals. As the capacity of the National Government permits, these 
facilities shall eventually be opened and operated in all national, regional, and 
provincial hospitals. The Department of Health shall make the recommendation 
every three years for the opening and funding of these additional facilities.   
 
         Section 4A. These dialysis facilities shall have all the necessary dialysis 
machines, equipment, supplies, and personnel. The Department of Health, 
Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and 
Management, and in consultation with concerned local government units shall come 
up with the appropriate staffing pattern in order to provide these facilities of the 
required personnel in its operation and maintenance.  The necessary budgets shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.   
 
 
 
 
 


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Section 5. Free Dialysis Treatment to Indigent Patients. – As far as practicable, 
dialysis treatment in all national, regional, and provincial government hospitals 
opened and operated by virtue of this Act shall be provided free of charge to indigent 
patients. The Philhealth, DSWD, and DOH should come up with schemes to 
maximize the application and use of existing assistance programs (AICS, MAIP) of 
their agencies in conjunction with the Malasakit Program in order achieve a zero 
balance billing for this particular service.  
 
 
Section 6. Penalty. – Any head or chief of hospital, administrator or officer-in-
charge of a hospital, dialysis center, and health facility who fails to comply with this 
Act shall be meted with a fine of Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) up to a maximum 
of One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00). 
 
Section 7. Appropriations. – The initial amount necessary to implement the 
provisions of this Act for national and regional hospitals shall be charged against the 
current year’s Appropriation of the DOH. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary 
for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act. 
 
Section 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Secretary shall promulgate 
the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act. 
 
Section 22. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason any part or provision of this Act 
is declared invalid and unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not 
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
Section 26. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
Section 27. Effectivity. – The Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,