DOH AO No.

2012 - 0012
 DOH AO No.
2012 - 0012
AN ACT STANDARDIZING THE
CLASSIFICATION OF HOSPITALS IN THE
PHILIPPINES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4226, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE HOSPITAL LICENSURE ACT
SECTION
1.
Short Title.
SECTION 1. Short Title.

This act shall be known as the "Hospitals

Classification Act of 2019."
Sec. 2.
Declaration of Policy.
 Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy.

It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of all Filipinos and instill health
consciousness among them. Towards this end, the State
shall adopt:

a) An integrated and comprehensive approach to health development that makes health

services in hospitals fully responsive to the needs of the community;
b) A health care model that provides access to a comprehensive and standard set of quality
and cost-effective, promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services in
hospitals at affordable cost; and
c) A framework that fosters a whole-of-system, whole-of-government, and whole-of­society
approach in the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health services
available in hospitals.
 Sec. 3.
Definition of
Terms.
 Sec 3. Definition of Terms.
As used in this Act, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

a) Hospital - a place devoted primarily for the maintenance and operation of health facilities for the diagnosis, treatment, and/or care
of individuals suffering from illness, isease, injury, or deformity, or in need of obstetrical or other surgical, medical, and nursing care.
It shall also be construed as any institution, building, or place where there are installed beds, cribs, or bassinets for twenty-four hour
use or longer by patients in the treatment of diseases or illnesses.

Private Hospitals are those owned, established and operated with private funds through donation, principal, investment or other
means by any individual, corporation, association or organization. It may be a single proprietorship, partnership, corporation,
cooperative, foundation, religious, non-government organization and others.

b) Licensing Agency - shall be as defined under Sec. 5 of Republic Act No. 4226 and its implementing rules. It may also refer to
other agencies or institutions empowered and capable to render the functions and services as defined in this Act and its implementing
rules.
 Sec 3. Definition of Terms.
c) Medical Director - shall mean the highest-ranking medical professional in a hospital, who
manages and directs the over-all medical direction of a hospital.

d􀀈 Hospital Owner- for Private Hospitals, shall mean the person who has control or has controlling
interest in a hospital. For hospitals owned and/or operated by a corporation, association, or any other
form of organization, it shall refer to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or its equivalent, of the
owner and/or operator, and for those owned and/or operated by a partnership, it shall refer to the general
partner/s, or equivalent, of the owner and/or operator.
 Sec. 4.
Classification of
Hospitals.
 Sec. 4. Classification of Hospitals.
The Licensing Agency shall classify Hospitals according to functional
capacity as Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Hospitals. Other classifications
may be issued by the Licensing Agency.

Level 1 Hospitals must provide the following minimum services as well as

the necessary manpower, personnel, and equipment:

a. A staff of qualified medical, allied medical and administrative personnel

headed by a physician duly licensed by the Professional Regulation
Commission (PRC);

b) Bed space for its authorized bed capacity in accordance with guidelines to
be issued by the Licensing Agency;
 Sec. 4. Classification of Hospitals.
c) An operating room with standard equipment and provision for
sterilization of equipment and supplies in accordance with guidelines to be
issued by the Licensing Agency;

d) A post-operative recovery room;

e) Maternity facilities, consisting of ward(s), room(s), a delivery room,

exclusively for maternity patients and newborns;

f) Isolation facilities with proper procedures for the care and control of
infectious and communicable diseases as well as for the prevention of cross
infections;

g) A separate dental section/clinic;

Sec. 4. Classification of Hospitals.

h) Provision for blood station;

i) A secondary clinical laboratory with the services of a consulting

pathologist in
accordance with guidelines to be issued by the Licensing Agency;

j) An imaging facility with the services of a consulting radiologist in

accordance with
guidelines to be issued by the Licensing Agency; and

k) A pharmacy in accordance with guidelines to be issued by the Licensing

Agency.
Sec. 4. Classification of Hospitals.
Level 2 Hospitals must provide all minimum services as well as the
necessary manpower, personnel, and equipment of a Level 1 Hospital, and
must include the following:

a) An organized staff of qualified and competent personnel with Medical

Director and appropriate board certified clinical department heads;

b) Departmentalized and equipped with the service capabilities needed to

support board certified/eligible medical specialists and other licensed
physicians rendering services in the specialties of Medicine, Pediatrics,
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Surgery, their
subspecialties and ancillary services;

c) Provision for general Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for critically ill
patients;

d) Provision for high risk neonatal ICU (NICU);

Sec. 4. Classification of Hospitals.
e) Provision for High Risk Pregnancy Unit (HRPU);

f) Provision for respiratory therapy services;

g) A tertiary clinical laboratory with guidelines to be issued by the

Licensing Agency; and

h) An imaging facility with mobile x-ray inside the institution and with
capability for contrast examinations in accordance with guidelines to be
issued by the Licensing Agency.

Level 3 Hospitals must provide all minimum services as well as the

necessary manpower,
personnel, and equipment of a Level 2 Hospital and must include the
following:

a) Teaching and/or training hospital with at least any two (2) accredited
residency training
program for physicians in any medical/surgical specialty and/or
subspecialty;
Sec. 4. Classification of Hospitals.
b) Provision for physical medicine and rehabilitation unit

c) Provision for ambulatory surgical clinic (ASC) - ASC in the Out-Patient

Department or designate one of its major operating rooms in the OR
complex solely for elective day surgeries;

d) Provision for dialysis facility - hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis or

both;

e) Provision for blood bank;

f) A tertiary clinical laboratory with standard equipment/reagents/supplies

necessary for the performance of histopathology examinations in
accordance with guidelines to be issued by the Licensing Agency; and

g) A imaging facility with interventional radiology in accordance with

guidelines to be issued by the Licensing Agency.
Sec. 5.
Power to Promulgate
Rules.
 Sec. 5. Power to Promulgate Rules.

Within one (1) year from the enactment, the Licensing Agency shall
promulgate rules and regulations to implement this Act, within the
parameters defined herein, and to track compliance with the standards set
forth herein.
 Sec. 6.
Duty to Self-Classify.
 Sec 6. Duty to Self-Classify.

Within one (1) year from the enactment of this Act, all Hospitals shall have the duty to
self-classify utilizing for the purpose a verified form to be issued by the Licensing
Agency. The form shall be verified by the Medical Director, and for privately owned/or
controlled hospitals, jointly with the Hospital Owner. The Licensing Agency shall
confirm the classification which shall be valid for a period of not more than three (3)
years, or as determined by the Licensing Agency. For purposes of this Act, the Licensing
Agency shall have the power to administer oaths.
 Sec. 7.
Duty to Maintain
Classification.
 Sec. 7. Duty to Maintain Classification.
A Hospital shall maintain its confirmed classification
within the duration as determined by the Licensing
Agency. Annual verified self­classification shall be
submitted by all Hospitals to the Licensing Agency.
Sec. 8.
Miscellaneous
Obligations.
 Sec. 8. Miscellaneous Obligations.

Regardless of classification, all Hospitals shall:

a) provide basic hospital functions such as, but not limited to, acute medical and surgical
services, anesthesia services, emergency and outpatient services, nursing service, dental
service for Levels 2 and 3, be it by referral system or outsourcing, with common diagnostic
and support units as pathology, radiology, and pharmacy;

b) adhere and ensure strict compliance to infection control and surveillance practices;
 Sec. 8. Miscellaneous Obligations.

c) have non-medical support such as, but not limited to, administrative and finance
section, medical records section, information management, dietary (for in-patients)
services, facility management and maintenance, waste management and security
services; and

d) establish a referral network within the vicinity of their facilities to provide for
services they are not capable of rendering.
 Sec. 9.
Liabilities and
Penalties.
 Sec 9. Liabilities and Penalties.

For violations of this Act, the offending hospital shall be liable to pay a fine of not less than One
Million Pesos (Php 1,000,000.00) for each notice of violation issued by the Licensing Agency and the
person(s) charged with overseeing compliance with this Act shall, upon conviction, suffer the penalty
of imprisonment of not less than four (4) years and one (1) day but not more than six (6) years and
one (1) day. The liabilities and penalties for government-owned and/or controlled hospitals but are
managed and/or operated by private entities shall fall on such hospitals' private operators and/or
managers. Any agreements to the contrary shall be void.

Violation of this Act shall also be a ground for the cancellation of the Hospital's license to operate.
 Sec. 10.
Repealing Clause.
 Sec. 10. Repealing Clause.

All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, executive

orders, letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules
or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 11.
Separability Clause.
 Sec. 11. Separability Clause.

If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the remainder of

this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in full force
and effect.
Sec. 12.
Effectivity.
 Sec 12. Effectivity.

This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of
general circulation.
 RESOURCES

HB04264.pdf – House of Representatives. Retrieved from

https://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_18/HB04264.pdf