Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
Second Regular Session

6526

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Hon. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The number of kidney patients undergoing dialysis treatment in the country continues to go up,
but the kidney donors remained low. According to the Renal Gift Allowing Life for Others
(REGALO), an organ donor advocacy, said kidney patients could not undergo kidney transplant
due to lack of donors. The only option to survive for many patients with end-stage renal disease is
a kidney transplant but it is not easy for them to find donors.

According to a data from the Philippine Renal Disease Registry, there were 18,603 new patients
that underwent dialysis in January 2015 and by the end of the year, the cases rose to 32,077. Out
of these numbers, only 475 Filipino patients receive a kidney transplant. Patients, especially senior
citizens, from the provinces, who are suffering from kidney disorder, have to travel all the way to
select government hospitals and clinics just to avail themselves of dialysis treatment, which is
needed on a regular and sustained basis. The optimum frequency of dialysis is three times a week
but because of its high cost and inaccessibility, some patients settle with less but with their health
deteriorating more progressively. Worse, some patients have died without being given a chance to
undergo dialysis because they could not afford it

In line with the government's efforts to provide Filipinos with comprehensive health services,
all national, regional, and provincial government hospitals must be tapped to make healthcare
services more affordable and accessible. Thus, this bill requires all government hospitals to
establish, operate and maintain a dialysis ward or unit to ensure that dialysis treatment will
be available, accessible and cost-effective especially to those living in the rural areas

Hence, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

SENIOR CITIZENS Pen


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 6526

Introduced by Hon. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay

AN ACT REQUIRING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIALYSIS CLINICS
IN ALL NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND PROVINCIAL HOSPITALS AND
PROVIDING FOR FREE DIALYSIS TREATMENT FOR SENIOR
CITIZENS PATIENTS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

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 “Senior Citizens Dialysis Act”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - \t is hereby declared the policy of the State to
protect and promote the rightof senior citizens to enjoy the highest attainable standard
of health. For this purpose, the State shall ensure that patients suffering from End Stage
Renal Disease are accorded timely and appropriate treatment with the provision of

accessible dialysis clinics and free diaiysis treatments.

SECTION 3. Establishment of Dialysis Clinics in all National, Regional and
Provincial Hospitals. - There shall be established dialysis clinics and dialysis wards in

all national, regional and provincial hospitals in the country. The dialysis clinics shall


be equipped with sufficient machines, equipment, paraphernalia and supplies and

staffed with the appropriate number of medical and other personnel.

‘The Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the local government units and

other relevant government agencies, shall lead the establishment of these clinics.

SECTION 4. Free Dialysis Treatment to Senior Citizens. - ‘The Department of Health,
in coordination with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, shall ensure
that senior citizen patients are accorded free dialysis treatments in national,
regional or provincial hospitals for one hundred (100) sessions or for one hundred
eighty (180) days, whichever comes first. For this purpose, “senior citizen" refers toa

patient who is at least sixty (60) years of age.

SECTION 5. Authority to Receive Donations and Exemptions from Donor’s Taxes,
Customs and Tariff Duties ~The DOH shall have the authority to receive donations,
gifts and bequests in order to augment the funding for the establishment of the
dialysis clinics created in accordance with this Act. All donations, contributions
or endowments which may be made by persons or entities to the dialysis clinics
in national, regional and provincial hospitals and the importation of medical
equipment and machineries, spare parts and other medical equipment used
solely and exclusively by the dialysis clinics shall be exempt from income or donor's
taxes, any other direct or indirect taxes, wharfage fees and other charges and

restrictions.


SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations ~ Within sixty (60) days from the
implementation of this Act, the Department of Health, upon consultation with
relevant stakeholders, shall issue the implementing rules and regulations to

implement the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations - An initial amount of One Billion
Pesos (P1,000,000,000) shall be appropriated for the implementation of this Act.

Thereafter, its appropriation shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 8. Seperability Clause. - \f any provision of this Act is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act or the provision not otherwise affected shall

remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent

with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days upon its

publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,