Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11717)
The main purpose of Republic Act No. 11717 is to increase the bed capacity of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City, Cebu, from 1,200 to 1,500 beds, and to appropriate funds for this expansion.
The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center is located in Cebu City, Province of Cebu.
The bed capacity of the VSMMC is increased to one thousand five hundred (1,500) beds.
The Department of Health (DOH) is responsible for preparing the hospital development plan that will guide future increases in bed capacity.
Section 2 mandates that the existing professional health care services and facilities of VSMMC must be upgraded to correspond with the increased bed capacity.
The Act requires a corresponding increase in the existing workforce, including doctors, nurses, and support personnel, to match the increase in bed capacity.
The Secretary of the Department of Health, after consulting with the Chief of VSMMC and coordinating with the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management and the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, determines the additional new positions.
The funding for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as part of the Department of Health's program.
If any provision or part of the Act is declared unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect.
The Act takes effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules, and regulations that are inconsistent with this Act are repealed or modified accordingly.