MANILA — Voting 257-0, the House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill 7751 or the proposed "Department of Health Specialty Centers Act," which establishes specialty health care centers in select hospitals in all regions of the country depending on the prevalence and burden of diseases.

In a press release, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, one of the principal authors of House Bill (HB) No. 7751, said the establishment of these facilities “would make specialized health care accessible to our people in the provinces, especially the poor.”

“We have specialty hospitals built during the time of the father of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., but all of these are in Quezon City. So our people in the regions and in Visayas and Mindanao who need the services of these health facilities will have to travel all the way to Quezon City to avail of their services,” Romualdez said said.

Romualdez was referring to the Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines, and Philippine Children’s Medical Center, located not far from each other on East Avenue and Quezon Avenue. There is also the Philippine Orthopedic Hospital in Banawe, also in Quezon City.

“So we need more specialty centers, not necessarily rising to the level of a hospital, like those in Quezon City to treat and care for our people requiring specialized health care in the provinces,” he said.

House Bill 7751 mandates the DOH to establish these centers in select hospitals under its supervision and control, with At least one center shall be put in place in every region within five years from the time the bill becomes law.

The existing specialty hospitals in Quezon City are mandates to help in the establishment of specialty centers in the regions and in the development of protocols and standards.

Previously, House Committee on Health, Batanes Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr sponsored the bill for plenary deliberations prior to approval.

"This proposed legislation, Your Honors, is in furtherance of fulfilling our mandate to provide universal health care by ensuring the availability and accessibility of critical healthcare facilities and services for our countrymen who are afflicted with and are susceptible to the major burden of diseases across the country," Gato said.

Gato explained that under the bill, the specialty centers shall be established in Level III apex or end referral hospitals under the direct supervision and control of the Department of Health, which are closely linked to health care provider networks (HCPNs) comprised of health facilities providing primary to tertiary level healthcare, pursuant to the Universal Health Care Act of 2019.

"In establishing the specialty centers, response to the top causes of morbidity and mortality shall be prioritized and shall be given utmost attention such as: cancer care, cardiovascular care, lung care, renal care and kidney transplant, brain and spine care, trauma care, bum 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 and eye care." Gato explained.

According to the committee fact sheet, the bill also 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.

Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Ralph G. Recto welcomed the approval.

"The designated hospitals will focus on 17 specialty disciplines including cancer care, cardiovascular care, lung, renal and kidney transplant, brain and spine care, trauma care, burn care, orthopedic care, physical rehabilitation medicine. Also to be covered are infectious disease and tropical medicine, toxicology, mental health, geriatric care, neonatal care, dermatology care, ear, nose and throat care and eye care. So instead of regionalizing the Heart, Lung and Kidney Centers into standalone facilities, this bill prescribes the better approach which is, to borrow a medical term, graft these specialty units into existing medical centers." Recto said in a statement inserted into the records of the House.

"The initial down payment should manifest itself in the 2024 national budget. Otherwise, the prose of this law would remain like jottings on a doctor’s prescription pad, ordered but not complied." Recto added.

The bill will be sent to the Senate for action.