Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11289

August 16, 2019

DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2019-0030

 

I. RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND

By virtue of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 6864, in 1990, the Saint Lorenzo Ruiz Municipal Hospital was established in Malabon City. The facility located in Rosita Subdivision, Santulan, Malabon City began as an outpatient clinic then as hospital with the name San Lorenzo Ruiz Women's Hospital (SLRWH). The hospital was under direct administrative and technical supervision of Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, and then it became a DOH-retained facility under the DOH's office in the National Capital Region.

In the 17th Congress, House Bill No. 5791 was introduced to upgrade SLRWH to Level 2 general hospital capability with corresponding increase in bed capacity. In 2018, appropriations were granted for the acquisition of land sufficient to establish a five-storey hospital building through the Health Facilities Enhancement Program. The hospital shall physically transfer to its new location along Panghulo Road in Malabon City.

On April 12, 2019, the President approved R.A. No. 11289, "An Act Converting the San Lorenzo Ruiz Women's Hospital in Malabon City, Metro Manila into a General Hospital to be known as the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital, Increasing its Bed Capacity from Ten (10) to Two Hundred (200) Beds and Appropriating Funds Therefor." Section 5 of the Act provides for the promulgation of its implementing rules and regulations.

II. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

This Administrative Order sets the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11289, "An Act Converting the San Lorenzo Ruiz Women's Hospital in Malabon City, Metro Manila into a General Hospital to be known as the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital, Increasing its Bed Capacity from Ten (10) to Two Hundred (200) Beds 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 "Rules and Regulations Governing the New Classification of Hospitals and Other Health Facilities in the Philippines" issued by the DOH on July 18, 2012, as amended.

2. Act — refers to Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11289, "An Act Converting the San Lorenzo Ruiz Women's Hospital in Malabon City, Metro Manila into a General Hospital to be known as the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital, Increasing its Bed Capacity from Ten (10) to Two Hundred (200) Beds and Appropriating Funds Therefor."

3. IRR — refers to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. No. 11289.

4. Level 2 Hospital — refers to the type of general hospital according to functional capacity as provided in A.O. No. 2012-0012, as amended.

5. General Hospital — refers to a hospital that provides services for all kinds of illnesses, diseases, injuries or deformities, medical and surgical care to the sick and injured, maternity, newborn and child care.

6. SLRGH — refers to the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital.

IV. POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

A. General Policies

The San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital (SLRGH) shall provide promotive, preventive, diagnostic, curative, and palliative health care services as a general hospital 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 2 General Hospital.

The SLRGH shall strengthen its existing basic and specialty services, and aim for the improvement of its service capability and capacity while continually serving as a referral hospital to the cities of Malabon, Caloocan, Navotas, Valenzuela, and contiguous localities in the Province of Bulacan, complementing local health systems and providers in these areas. The increase in bed capacity and expansion of services and capability shall be consistent with the SLRGH'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 San Lorenzo Ruiz Women's Hospital shall be renamed as San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital. The acronym shall be known as "SLRGH".

The Medical Center Chief (MCC) shall ensure that directory and future official documents adhere to the new hospital name, and reflected in the DOH's National Health Registry and other official databases.

2. Expansion of Services

The SLRGH shall formulate and submit its HDP to the HFDB through the DOH's Metro Manila Center for Health Development (CHD). The HDP shall be consistent with the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP) leading towards a 200-bed Level 2 General Hospital with departmentalized services in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Medicine, Surgery, and Anesthesia. The incremental annual increase in bed capacity and expansion of service capabilities shall be achieved within five (5) years of implementation of this Act.

3. Health Human Resources

Based on the approved HDP, the SLRGH shall request for an increase in its 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 SLRGH 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 creation of positions, promote professional development and hire additional staff to comply and conform to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and DOH standards and intent of the Act. The management shall also adhere to CSC's Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM).

4. Assets and Liabilities

All movable and immovable assets and records of the SLRGH, 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 SLRGH shall make an inventory of the existing hospital equipment and undertake upgrading to conform to the DOH standards of a Level 2 General Hospital as provided for under A.O. No. 2012-0012, as amended. Additional equipment and facilities shall be provided to complement the expansion of services consistent with the approved HDP.

6. Infrastructure

The SLRGH shall implement and seek the support of the DOH for the construction of its physical infrastructure in its new location in Panghulo, Malabon City, consistent with the approved HDP, and in conformity with all existing laws, rules and regulations, national and international standards for hospital buildings, also in line with the Hospitals Safe from Disasters Program, the Green Healthcare Facilities Guidelines, Integrated People-Centered Health Services, among others.

7. Systems Development

The SLRGH 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

The SLRGH's Quality Management System shall conform to ISO 9001:2015 standards. It shall enhance operations with the implementation of Continuing Quality Improvement, Patient Safety Program, 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 (PGS) towards its organizational development and performance improvement, as guided by the DOH performance accountability measures such as the Hospital Scorecard.

V. IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURES

1. Administrative Control

The highest DOH-designated official of the Metro Manila CHD shall have oversight jurisdiction and control over the SLRGH's operations. The Metro Manila CHD shall monitor the implementation of R.A. No. 11289, and may recommend the necessary further upgrading as guided by this Order.

The MCC of the SLRGH shall be accountable and responsible for the implementation of quality standard hospital operations and management. The MCC shall establish responsibility accounting and internal audit 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. 11289 shall be sourced out accordingly:

a. Capital outlay 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 hospital 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