Republic of the Philippines
House Or REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Sixteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNo, _ 8628

Introduced by Honorable Herminia B, Roman

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish a national health program to deliver health
services to remote rural areas with insufficient health stations, to provide the
people in these areas better access to health services

Section 11, Article XIII of the 1987 Constitution, states:

“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 under-privileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children.
The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers,”

Despite the government’s efforts to bring health care closer to Filipinos
by implementing various health programs and providing health insurance
coverage, disparities in health outcome still persist. Primary health services
remain inaccessible to majority of our population particularly in rural and
remote areas. Health inequity remains a foremost health issue in the~
Philippines, and as such, a national program to deliver health services in these
areas is necessary to achieve total health development.

This bill aims to provide health services to people in remote areas or far
flung places where health services are inaccessible. Under this measure, mobile
health clinics will be utilized and deployed for the delivery of health services
in remote areas in the country.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is eamestly sought

owas Bevis’
HERMINIA B. ROMAN

Bill Drafting Service


Republic of the Philippines
Houser Or REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Sixteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNo, 8628

Introduced by Honorable Herminia B, Roman

AN ACT
‘ABLISHING A NATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM FOR
HEALTH 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
“National Health Outreach Program Act.”

SEC.2. Statement of Policy, — It is the policy of the State to adopt
an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall
endeavour to make essential goods, health and other social services available
to all the people at affordable cost. Towards this end, the State shall establish a
national program to deliver health services to areas with no or insufficient
health station or in places with limited and difficult access to health services,
particularly in remote rural communities, to provide the people in such areas

better access to primary health care.

Bill Drafting Service


SECS: National Health Outreach Program. — The Department of
Health (DOH) shall, in coordination and consultation with the local
government units, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development,
establish a national outreach program hereinafter referred to as the Program, to
deliver basic health services to the following areas:

a) remote rural areas or barangays with no existing health centers or

health stations;

b) _ barangays with insufficient or limited health services; and

c) barangays affected by calamity, disaster or other emergency

situations which resulted to nondelivery of health services.

SEC.4, Mobile Health Clinics. — Under the Program, the DOH

shall deploy mobile health clinics in areas enumerated in Section 3 to provide
free medical and dental services such as diagnostic examinations, primary
health care consultations, pre-natal consultations, dental care, immunizations,
basic life support, drug distribution, first aid treatment of injuries, and
treatment and control of common diseases. Every mobile clinic shall have the
following personnel

a) aduly licensed physician;

b) a registered nurse;

c) amedical technologist; and

d) a dentist

The personnel of the mobile health clinics shall also conduct information

dissemination on the different health programs of the DOH, grant medical


assistance to qualified applicants under the Program if any, and facilitate the

access of patients to higher level of health care.

SEC. 5. Priority Areas. — The DOH in consultation with the local
government units and the Department of Social Welfare and Development,
shall identify priority areas where the mobile health clinics shall be deployed.
It shall also determine the length of their stay in their respective duty area:
Provided, That mobile health clinics shall be deployed regularly in identified
priority areas to render health services until permanent access to health
services in such areas shall have been established or restored.

SEC. 6. Appropriations. ~ The amount of One hundred million
pesos (P100,000,000,00) is hereby appropriated for the initial implementation
of this Act which shall be charged to the appropriations of the Department of
Health. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the continued
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act (GAA).

SEC.7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60)
days after the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall issue such
rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 8 Annual Review, — The Department of Health shall conduct
an annual review of the Program and shall submit annual recommendations
and reports to both Houses of Congress.

SEC.9. Separability Clause. ~ If any provision or part of this Act is

declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not


affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, rules and regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof, which are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended
accordingly.

SEC. 11 Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

after publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of

general circulation.

Approved,