INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has approved on third reading a proposal that would create specialty hospitals under the Department of Health (DOH) supervision.
During the resumption of the House session on Monday, House Bill (HB) No. 7751, or the proposed Department of Health Specialty Centers Act, was approved with 256 lawmakers voting in the affirmative, while none voted in the negative and abstained.
If the said bill is enacted, it would task the DOH to establish specialty centers under its direct supervision, which would offer “specialized care addressing particular conditions and provide specific procedures and management of cases requiring specialized training and equipment”.
DOH would be asked to prioritize the following ailments in the creation of specialty centers:
- cancer care
- cardiovascular care
- lung care
- renal care and kidney transplant
- brain and spine care
- trauma care
- burn care
- orthopedic care
- physical rehabilitation medicine
- infectious disease and tropical medicine
- toxicology
- mental health
- geriatric care
- neonatal care
- dermatology care
- ear, nose and throat care
- eye care
“Selected DOH hospitals shall be designated as National Specialty Centers (NSCs), ACSCs (Advanced Comprehensive Specialty Center) and BCSCs (Basic Comprehensive Specialty Center) for each of the specialties in accordance with the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan,” the bill stated.
Under the bill, these NSCs would have the following roles and responsibilities:
- Serve as the information hub for the specializations and diseases they cover in coordination with concerned DOH offices.
- Lead in the development of policies, protocols, and standards for specific specialties.
- Provide scientific leadership in research by conducting specialized clinical, public health, and operations research with a multidisciplinary or multi-center clinical approach.
- Provide support in establishing specialty centers through specialty training and technical assistance in collaboration with the DOH and relevant professional organizations.
- Assist the ACSCs and BCSCs in strengthening the network of care for the specific specialties across the country to ensure the delivery of quality services.
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