Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11102

September 16, 2019

DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2019-0037

 

I. RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND

The President signed Republic Act No. 11102, "An Act Establishing the SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital in the Municipality of Surallah, Province of South Cotabato, and Appropriating Funds Therefor" on October 26, 2018. The Act was proposed in the 17th Congress as House Bill No. 5881 by Representative Ferdinand L. Hernandez, Second District, South Cotabato, and as Senate Bill No. 1586 by Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito. The Office of Rep. Hernandez confirmed that the hospital shall be established from the existing Upper Valley Community Hospital (UVCH), Municipality of Surallah, Province of South Cotabato.

Previously the Surallah District Hospital, UVCH is located at the center of five municipalities that comprise the Upper Valley of South Cotabato — the municipalities of Surallah, Santo Niño, Banga, Lake Sebu and T'boli. Surallah is 30 kilometers away, or less than an hour's travel via National Highway from Koronadal City, the designated center of Central Mindanao Region, or SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City).

In 2012, the hospital was built through a partnership between the provincial government and San Miguel Corporation. Then the province sought financial and technical assistance from Department of Health for the hospital's upgrading. Presently, the hospital operates as a gatekeeper facility of the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital and other higher level facilities.

With R.A. No. 11102, as SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital, the hospital is envisioned to upgrade and expand as a Level 3 Hospital to decongest Cotabato Regional and Medical Center and other end-referral DOH-retained facilities. Section 2 of the Act provides that the DOH prepares the implementing rules and regulations upon consultation with the Provincial Government and other stakeholders.

II. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

This Administrative Order sets the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11102, "An Act Establishing the SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital in the Municipality of Surallah, Province of South Cotabato, and Appropriating Funds Therefor," and pertains only to the provisions of this Act.

III. DEFINITION OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS

1. A.O. No. 2012-0012 — refers to the DOH Administrative Order (A.O.) on the "Rules and Regulations Governing the New Classification of Hospitals and Other Health Facilities in the Philippines" dated July 19, 2012 as amended.

2. Act — refers to Republic (R.A.) Act No. 11102, "An Act Establishing the SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital in the Municipality of Surallah, Province of South Cotabato, and Appropriating Funds Therefor."

3. IRR — refers to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. No. 11102.

4. Level 3 General Hospital — refers to one of three classifications of general hospitals by functional capacity as prescribed in A.O. No. 2012-0012.

5. SGH — refers to SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital.

IV. POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

A. General Policies

The SGH shall provide tertiary-level promotive, preventive, diagnostic, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health care services, as well as teaching, training and research services, in accordance to provisions of and related issuances to R.A. No. 11223, or the "Universal Health Care Act." The Hospital shall be fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, complemented by adequately trained and competent human resources for health as appropriate for a licensed and accredited Level 3 General Hospital.

The SGH shall strengthen its existing basic and specialty services, and aim for the improvement of its service capability and capacity while continually serving as end-referral hospital in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region, or the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos City and other cities, and adjacent areas in Maguindanao province, complementing local health systems and providers in these areas. The annual increase in bed capacity and expansion of services and capability shall be consistent with the SGH's Hospital Development Plan (HDP) as approved by the Health Facility Development Bureau (HFDB).

B. Implementing Mechanisms

The implementation of the Act shall be supported by the following guidelines:

1. Change in Name

The Upper Valley Community Hospital shall be renamed as SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital. The acronym shall be known as "SGH." The official address shall be in Barangay Dajay, Surallah, South Cotabato. The Medical Center Chief (MCC) shall ensure that directory and future official documents adhere to the new hospital name, and reflected in the DOH National Health Facility Registry and other official databases.

2. Expansion of Services

The SGH shall develop and submit its Hospital Development Plan (HDP) to the HFDB through the SOCCSKSARGEN Center for Health Development (CHD). The HDP shall be consistent with the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP) leading towards a Level 3 General Hospital.

3. Health Human Resources

Based on the approved HDP, the SGH shall request for the required health human resources based on DBM-DOH Joint Circular No. 2013-01, "Revised Standards and Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern of Government Hospitals, CY 2013 Edition" dated 23 September 2013.

The SGH shall honor the positions, security of tenure, and other rights of its human resource complement. The Hospital shall evaluate the existing human resource complement, re-classify and/or propose upgrading of positions, promote professional development and hire additional staff to comply and conform to the Civil Service Commission and DOH standards and intent of this Act.

4. Assets and Liabilities

All movable and immovable assets and records of the SGH, as well as its liabilities and obligations shall be properly documented and be accounted for in accordance with existing policies and guidelines.

5. Equipment

The SGH shall make an inventory of the existing hospital equipment and undertake upgrading to conform to the DOH standards of a Level 3 General Hospital as provided for under A.O. No. 2012-0012. Additional equipment and facilities shall be provided to complement the expansion of services consistent with the approved HDP.

6. Infrastructure

The SGH shall implement and seek the support of the DOH for the construction, repair and/or renovation of its physical infrastructure, consistent with the approved HDP, and conforms to all existing laws, regulations, national and international standards for hospital buildings, also in line with Hospitals Safe from Disasters Program, Green Healthcare Facilities Guidelines, among others.

7. Systems Development

The SGH shall conform to and sustain the standards of hospital operations to provide quality health care and safety for patients, health workers and other clientele of the Hospital. It shall implement an electronic information system conforming to the basic requirements of the Integrated Hospital Operations and Management Program (IHOMP).

8. Quality Management

Through the term of its HDP implementation, the SGH's Quality Management System shall conform to ISO 9001:2015 standards. It shall enhance operations with the implementation of the Continuing Quality Improvement Program, Patient Safety Program, and Manuals of Standards of Hospital Operations and Management by HFDB, policies and standards by Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and other standards by international organizations that support national or local standards. Its management shall comply with the gender and development (GAD) mainstreaming policies for government bureaucracies.

The Hospital shall complete all stages and become certified with the Performance Governance System towards its organizational development and performance improvement, as guided by DOH performance accountability measures such as the Hospital Scorecard.

9. Transition Committee and Plan

A Transition Committee shall be created to develop a transition plan to implement the transfer of operations, management and assets of the former Upper Valley Community Hospital, which include but not limited to qualified, competent existing human resources for health, equipment and lot. The Committee shall be composed of the DOH, Government of South Cotabato, and others included upon recommendations of the SOCCSKSARGEN CHD Director. The Committee shall be headed by the CHD Director, and shall be terminated upon completion of the tasks.

V. IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURE

1. Administrative Control

The highest DOH-designated official of the SOCCSKSARGEN CHD shall have oversight jurisdiction and control over the SGH's operations. The CHD shall monitor the implementation of R.A. No. 11102, and may recommend the necessary further upgrading as guided by this Order.

The Medical Center Chief (MCC) of the SGH shall be accountable and responsible for the implementation of quality standard hospital operations and management. The MCC shall establish responsibility accounting as means of management control and determination of respective contributions and performances of the Hospital's divisions or units. The MCC shall also submit developmental plans, financial and statistical reports to the DOH Central Office.

2. Sourcing and Use of Funds

The amounts necessary to carry out the provisions of R.A. No. 11102 shall be sourced out accordingly:

a. Capital investments for infrastructure and equipment shall be sourced from DOH appropriations under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), hospital income including PhilHealth payments, public-private partnership, and/or other financing modes or schemes subject to prevailing government rules and regulations;

b. The additional Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) resulting from the hospital expansion shall be sourced from the GAA, hospital income including PhilHealth payments, public-private partnerships, and/or other financing modes or schemes;

c. Personal Services (PS) to carry out the full implementation of the staffing pattern following the DOH-DBM Joint Circular No. 2013-01, and other related issuances shall be sourced out from the GAA and other sources; and

d. Release of funds from the DOH shall be approved by the appropriate authority.

VI. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE

If any of the provisions under this Order is declared unauthorized or rendered invalid by any court of law or competent authority, those provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and effective.

VII. EFFECTIVITY

This Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

(SGD.) FRANCISCO T. DUQUE, III, MD, MScSecretary of Health