Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH (19th) CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. __________ 
Introduced by: Rep. Olga “Ara” T. Kho and Rep. Ricardo T. Kho 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Our country is listed as one of the high risk population when it comes to renal 
disease because of the numerous cases of diabetes, high blood pressure and other 
hereditary diseases, all of which can lead to kidney malfunction.  
According to the latest WHO data published in 2020 Kidney Disease Deaths in 
Philippines reached 39,380 or 5.84% of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 51.96 
per 100,000 of population ranks Philippines #10 in the world. 
The cost of medical treatment for kidney disease is really very expensive, beyond 
the reach of ordinary patients. It was reported that, only 73% of Filipino patients with 
kidney failure were able to afford necessary treatment. The price of dialysis in the 
Philippines can range from Php 2,000 to Php 7,000 per treatment and above. 
Government hospitals tend to have lower prices but can accommodate only a limited 
number of patients at a time. 
A study by the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN) showed that 60 percent 
of CKD patients are the so-called service patients who badly needed state subsidy to get 
the life-saving treatment. And most of them usually reach out to politicians, foundations, 
state agencies, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), among others. 
Article XIII, Section 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that: 
"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." 
Despite the efforts of the government — through the DOH, together with its specialty 
and regional hospitals and accredited dialysis clinics, PCSO and Philhealth in addressing the 
problem, still the occurrence of renal diseases in the country is on the rise. More and more 
CKD patients facing economic difficulties who cannot afford the cost of the necessary 
treatment available as well as the cost of transportation to the available hospital/clinic tend 
to forego the treatment. 
July 7, 2022
1:44 pm
1574


Hence, providing a dialysis machine to national, regional and provincial government 
hospitals will help CKD patients, especially from rural areas, to get the necessary treatment 
near their places of abode.  
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 service facility 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. This bill further 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 sought. 
 
 
 
 
             REP. OLGA “Ara” T. KHO  
 
   REP. RICARDO T. KHO 
                   2nd District, Masbate 
 
                   1st District, Masbate 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH (19th) CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. __________ 
Introduced by: Rep. Olga “Ara” T. Kho and Rep. Ricardo T. Kho 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING ALL NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT 
HOSPITALS To ESTABLISH, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A DIALYSIS SERVICE 
FACILITY IN THEIR RESPECTIVE HOSPITAL AND PROVIDING FREE 
DIALYSIS TREATMENT TO INDIGENT PATIENTS 
Be 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 Service Facility for 
Indigents Act of 2022". 
SEC 2. Declaration 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) "Dialysis Service Facility" shall refer to a facility that provides treatment for chronic
kidney disease to indigent patients and disseminate information on its prevention,
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 thereof.
e) "Indigent Patient" shall refer to a patient whose combined annual family income does not
exceed Fifty Thousand (P50,000.00) annually,
1574


SEC. 4. Establishment, Operation and Maintenance of a Dialysis Service Facility. 
Within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, all national, provincial, and regional 
government hospitals are hereby required to establish, operate and maintain a dialysis 
service facility in their hospital. It shall have a dialysis service area compliant with the 
Licensing Requirements imposed by the Department of Health (DOH) for private dialysis 
clinics. It shall further be provided with the necessary personnel and equipped with 
complete dialysis machine, equipment and supplies as provided for in the same DOH-
issued Licensing Requirements for private dialysis clinics. 
The Dialysis Service Facility shall further have a non-treatment area which shall 
serve as a waiting area for CKD patients and a business area for information service that 
shall give importance on information dissemination on the prevention of CKD. 
SEC. 5. Free Dialysis Service Treatment to Indigent Patients. Indigent patients, as 
defined in Section 3 (e) hereof, shall be provided dialysis treatment in all national, 
provincial and regional hospitals. 
SEC. 6. Penalty. Any hospital chief, administrator or officer-in-charge who fails to 
comply with this Act shall be meted 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 DOH 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. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,