On 24 August, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act 11959 titled “An Act Establishing Specialty Centers in Department of Health Hospitals in Every Region and in Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporation Specialty Hospitals and Appropriating Funds Therefor.”
The new law was described by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri as one that “would pave the way for the establishment of specialty health centers that would provide medical access and convenience to millions of Filipinos outside Metro Manila.”
What exactly does the law intend to accomplish? Section 2 of the law provides that it is the policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people and to instill health consciousness among them by making health services available, accessible, and affordable for all.
To this end, the law mandates the State to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development by providing specialized health services to the public through the establishment and institutionalization of specialty health centers in all regions of the Philippines.
Hence, RA 11959 is also called the Regional Specialty Centers Act, and it is designed to ensure accessible and affordable specialty healthcare services for all Filipinos, especially the low-income segment and the very poor.
The law designates the Department of Health or DoH to establish these specialty centers in its hospitals in every region of the country and in Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations that have hospitals pursuant to their respective mandates.
The law is ambitious in its scope; it brings within its coverage almost all, if not all, of the specific aspects of one’s health and well-being. It prioritizes cancer care, cardiovascular care, lung care, renal care, and kidney transplants, brain and spine care, trauma care and burn care, orthopedic care, physical rehabilitation medicine, infectious diseases and tropical medicine, dermatology, eye care, and ear nose and throat care.
The enumeration reads like the entire list of all health issues hounding Filipinos. But this only reflects the depth and breadth of commitment PBBM is giving to Filipinos in the area of health care, especially that which requires medical expertise, along with holistic health care which is one of his priorities for the country.
The DoH is not alone in this undertaking as it is additionally tasked to coordinate with National Specialty Centers, DoH hospitals, the Professional Regulation Commission, the Department of Budget and Management, the Civil Service Commission, accredited professional organizations concerned, specialty and subspecialty associations, and other relevant stakeholders.
All are enjoined to work together to ensure the sustainability of the staffing of the specialty centers by developing and implementing plans, policies, strategies, and programs concerning the production, recruitment, training, and retention of medical specialists and expert personnel.
Time is of the essence for this law as seen in Section 6, which directs the DoH to include the specialty centers in the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan. This plan is the guide for investments funded by the national government to rationalize the distribution of capacity and capability of health facilities and personnel around the country. The law mandates that at least one specialty center is established in every region within five years from its effectivity.
No less than the brightest and most well-intentioned medical specialists are called to support the law and impart their expert knowledge to the young frontliners expected to be involved in the program. Section 8 authorizes the NSCs and DoH hospitals with Advanced Comprehensive Specialty Centers and Basic Comprehensive Specialty Centers to contract the services of these specialists to provide training and assistance.
Lastly, the responsibility of ensuring that the objective of this law is met is given to Congress which is tasked to conduct a systematic evaluation of the implementation, accomplishments, and impact, as well as the performance of the established specialty centers, to determine remedial legislation, if necessary.
What the law intends to achieve is certainly laudable. Its salient points largely reflect the vision of the current administration and its leadership style: holistic, coordinated, forward-looking, inclusive and accountable.