The House Committee on Health has approved a measure seeking to re-nationalize Polillo Medicare Community Hospital located in the municipality of Polillo in Quezon province, placing it under the direct supervision and control of the Department of Health (DOH).

In a recent virtual meeting, the House panel, chaired by Quezon 4th District Rep. Angelina Tan passed House Bill No. 6966, principally authored by Quezon 1st District Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga.

It was Negros Occidental 5th district Rep. Ma. Lourdes “Marilou” T. Arroyo who moved for the approval of the measure. The motion was seconded by Cavite 2nd District Rep. Strike Revilla.

Enverga said there is not enough hospital beds in the province, especially in the first district of Quezon, which only has 80 hospital beds inadequate to serve his constituents.

“Polillo Medicare Community Hospital has limited resources to maintain the existing facilities, old equipment that are beyond repaired and needs upgrade and limited services leading to patients referred to other heath providers,” he said.

“Furthermore, losses incurred due to none operational of medical equipment and the lack of personnel because of inadequate financial resources to fund repair or purchase and additional hiring of health workers are also evident and should be adequately address immediately,” he added.

HB 6966 also seeks to increase its bed capacity to 100 beds.

“The re-nationalization of the hospital will substantially contribute to the revolving role of the hospital to the Universal Health Care by having an optimum clinical performance in case management through incentives mechanism; improve quality of patient care with a good working environment and access provision to quality health care facilities and health promotion incentives,” Enverga said.

“The hospital needs to be supervised by the national government to assure continuous fund and aid for the hospital and not to further rely on funds from the provincial government,” he pointed out.

HB 6966 seeks to re-nationalize the Polillo Medical Care Community Hospital and place it under the supervision and control of the national government.

Under the bill, the hospital’s operating fund and existing service facilities and professsional heath care services shall be increased and upgraded to conform with and be commensurate to the re-nationalization and to the increased bed capacity.

The measure mandated the DOH Secretary to include in the department’s program the implementation of the proposed Act, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

The concerned local government unit (LGU) shall continue to provide funding for the hospital until such time that their full funding is included in the annual GAA.

The DOH is tasked to formulate the implementing rules and regulations of the proposed Act, upon consultation with the provincial government of Quezon and other stakeholders.