The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill that seeks to provide specialized health services to the general public by establishing specialty care center in select hospitals in all regions of the Philippines based on the prevalence and burden of disease.
House Bill No. 7751, or the Department of Health Specialty Centers Act, mandates the establishment of specialty centers in select hospitals under the direct supervision and control of the Department of Health (DOH) that shall address particular conditions and provide specific procedures and management of cases requiring specialized training and equipment.
The bill is a consolidation of House Bills 4334, 5563 and 6666 respectively authored by Reps. Angelo Marcos Barba (Ilocos Norte 2nd District), Samuel Verzosa Jr. (Tutok to Win Party-list) and House Committee on Health chairperson Ciriaco Gato (Batanes).
Under the measure, the DOH shall prioritize the establishment of care centers for 17 specialties, which include: cancer care; cardiovascular care; lung care; renal and kidney transplant; brain and spine care; trauma care; burn care; orthopedic care; physical rehabilitation medicine; infectious diseases and tropical medicine; toxicology; mental health; geriatric care; neonatal care; dermatology care; ear, nose and throat care; and eye care.
The measure provides that at least one specialty center in every region shall be established within five years upon the effectivity of this Act based on the top burden of disease and special needs in the area.
HB 7751 further mandates the DOH to include the establishment of specialty centers in the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan which shall serve as a guide for investments funded by the national government to rationalize the distribution of capacity and capability of health facilities.
Selected DOH hospitals shall be designated as National Specialty Centers, Advanced Comprehensive Specialty Centers, and Basic Comprehensive Specialty Centers for each of the specialties in accordance with the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan.
It mandates the Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine Cancer Center, and other national specialty centers that may be established and designated by the DOH as such in the future, to lead in the development of policies, protocols and standards for the particular specialty, and provide specialty trainings and technical assistance.
HB 7751 also provides the basic criteria for the establishment of specialty centers, which include: evidence of the health needs and demands, including disease burdens, in the catchment populations of the DOH facilities; service capability of the hospital and geographic or physical access; availability of competent health human resources for specialized healthcare; and operational and financial performance of the DOH facilities, including accreditation to avail of specialized healthcare packages from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), among others. (PNA)