Philippine Orthopedic Center Modernization Act

SOMM TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 JUL 14 A10:24 SENATE RECENES S. No. 459 Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE ORTHOPEDIC CENTER, UPGRADING ITS SERVICE FACILITIES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR EXPLANATORY NOTE The Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) is a government medical facility under the Department of Health tasked to provide health care delivery to patients with musculoskeletal disorder and related conditions. It is a 700-bed tertiary special hospital specializing in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and serves as a center for trauma and orthopedics. It also serves as a training center for orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, physiatrists, pathologists and other paramedical personnel. The POC needs to sustain the operations of the country's prime orthopedic center, especially with the upsurge in the cases of injuries in the country. There is an urgent need to modernize the POC by procuring state-of-the-art hospital facilities and equipment to be able to comply with the Universal Healthcare Law which provides that all Filipinos must be able to avail of affordable, accessible and quality medical care. The proposed measure seeks to modernize and revitalize the country's prime orthopedic center through the repair, rehabilitation and construction of necessary facilities and the acquisition of the necessary hospital equipment to be able to operate

effectively and efficiently. Towards this end, the modernization and upgrade of POC would help in the performance of their mandate of providing cheap heathcare for indigent patients. In this light, the immediate passage of this bill is recommended. JINGOOY EJERCITO ESTRADA

Soft stu tott TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 25 JUL 14 A10:24 First Regular Session NICA Tir SENATE m.... S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE ORTHOPEDIC CENTER, UPGRADING ITS SERVICE FACILITIES 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 " Philippine Orthopedic

Center Modernization Act".

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to

modernize the health care delivery system to a level where it can fully and effectively perform its constitutional mandate to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. Towards this end, the State shall undertake the modernization of the Philippine 8 Orthopedic Center (POC), which is the country's only tertiary specialty hospital under 9 the Department of Health tasked to provide quality orthopedic, rehabilitation, and other services relating to musculoskeletal disorder and related conditions.

Sec. 3. POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Council. - In order to properly

execute the modernization of POC, there is hereby created a POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Council ("Council") composed of the Secretary of Health as its Ex-Officio Chairman, the POC Medical Center Chief as Co-Chairman and five (5) members consisting of representatives from academic and medical communities in the field of orthopedic medicine as may be determined by the Secretary of Health.

Sec. 4. POC Modernization Plan. - Within six (6) months from the effectivity of

this Act, the Council shall establish a POC Modernization Plan ("Plan"). The Plan shall principally be a re-tooling of POC with modern equipment and facilities, including but not limited to, procurement of the latest and most up-to-date medical instruments, tools and apparatus; repair major areas which need to be rehabilitated such as patient rooms and wards, operating rooms, lavatory areas and comfort rooms and other physical facilities; and repair and repainting of POC buildings and its environment. The Council must formulate the Plan, subject to the following considerations: a) It must undertake the repair and rehabilitation of the POC to be a premier tertiary specialty hospital, referral center, and training institute; b) It must upgrade, modernize, acquire and procure state-of the-art medical equipment, and the latest model of critical apparatus and instruments; c) It must involve renovation and modernization of its facilities and the application of new technologies to improve the hospital's capabilities in providing timely and reliable medical services for its patients; and d) It must render quality health and medical care services to indigent patients by maintaining seventy percent (70%) allocation of beds for government- sponsored patients. In addition to the Plan, the bed capacity of POC shall be increased from seven hundred (700) to one thousand (1,000) hospital beds.

Sec. 5. POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Fund. - There is hereby created

the POC Rehabilitation and Modernization Fund which shall be used exclusively to fund the modernization plan provided under this Act. The initial amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos (PhP500,000,000) to comprise the said fund shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year immediately following the approval of this Act. The total amount allocated herein shall be used exclusively for the repair, rehabilitation, renovation of the POC, the procurement of hospital materials, equipment, furniture and fixtures pursuant to the program and guidelines as determined by the Council.

Sec. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DOH shall, within ninety

(90) days from effectivity of this Act, issue the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

Sec. 7. Annual Report. - The Council shall submit to the Office of the President

and Congress, through the House and Senate Committees on Health, an annual report on the outcome and progress of its activities.

Sec. 8. Separability Clause. - Should any provision or part of this Act be

declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions and parts hereof, insofar as they are separable from the invalid ones, shall remain in full force and effect.

Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamation,

rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Sec. 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,