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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4651

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In 2017, the Department of Health (DOH) admitted that the shortage of beds remains
a challenge in government hospitals with a ratio of 1 hospital bed per 800 people in
Metro Manila alone. Then Health Secretary Rosell-Ubial said that majority of
government hospitals are over occupied and at least 42,000 hospital beds are
required’. The public health sector has struggled with financing its hospitals and
programs. The World Health Organization pointed out the maldistribution of
infrastructure and human resources across the country, and defined the current
system as “fragmented”.

Several reforms have been made in order to address the concerns that riddle the
current health care system in the Philippines. One major success was the passage of
the Universal Health Care law which puts all Filipinos into the National Health
Insurance Program and ensure primary care services to all. However, inefficiencies
still abound, such as gaps in delivery of service and, most especially, infrastructure.

Under current policy, a government hospital can only increase its bed capacity through
legislation. This bill hopes to address this by authorizing the DOH to administratively
determine and approve the bed capacity and service capability of all government
hospitals. This will empower the DOH, who have expertise on service delivery in our
health care system, to evaluate and approve changes in its hospitals.

The approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

LUIS ILRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

! hutps://businessmirror.com.ph/2017/08/15/doh-admits- fn-metro-manila-hospitals/
The Philippines Health System Review. Health Systems i Transitjpn, Vol. 8 No. 2, 2018. World Health
Organization. hitp://apps.searo.who.int/PDS_DOCS/B5438.pdf. Accessed on July 10, 2019.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4651
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) TO SET AND APPROVE
THE BED CAPACITY OF ALL DOH HOSPITALS

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “DOH Hospital Bed Capacity
Rationalization Act”.

SECTION 2. This Act shaii streamline the process for approving changes in the
authorized bed capacities of all Department of Health (DOH) hospitals.

SECTION 3. Authority is hereby granted to the DOH to adjust and approve the
authorized bed capacities of all DOH hospitals. Thereafter, the DOH shall, through an
administrative order, determine the bed capacities of DOH government hospitals,
subject to specific guidelines that shall be issued and promulgated, within three (3)
months after the enactment of this Act.

SECTION 4. The DOH shail provide Congress, through the Committee on Health of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health and Demography of the
Senate, an annual report of hospitals with approved bed capacity, along with the
necessary funding requirements.

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SECTION 5. The Secretary of Health shall include in the Department's programs the
funding requirements for the increase in bed capacity of each of the hospital in
accordance with the Philippine Hospital Development Plan and the
Modernization/Development Plan of each hospital, the funding of which shall be

included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

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within ninety (90) days of its effectivity.

SECTION 7. Repeating Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or
other issuances or parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect in fifteen (15) days after
publication in the Official Gazette or in one (1) newspaper of general circulation in the

Philippines.

Approved,