Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 1082)
Under Republic Act No. 1082, District Health Officers are now called Provincial Health Officers.
The Presidents of Sanitary Divisions, Municipal Maternity and Charity Clinic Physicians, and Heads of Units of the Rural Health Units under the Bureau of Health are designated as Municipal Health Officers.
Each congressional district shall have one Public Health Dentist; however, districts with a population of over 150,000 shall have an additional Public Health Dentist.
Two classes are created: Category One or Senior Rural Health Unit consisting of a Municipal Health Officer, a Public Health Nurse, a Midwife, and a Sanitary Inspector; and Category Two or Junior Rural Health Unit consisting of a Physician or Public Health Nurse and a Midwife or Sanitary Inspector.
A municipality or group of municipal districts must have a population of not less than five thousand to have a Category One rural health unit.
Municipalities with more than 35,000 inhabitants are entitled to an additional Category Two rural health unit.
Municipal Health Officers receive an annual salary ranging from ₱3,000.00 to ₱4,200.00, while Public Health Dentists receive between ₱2,400.00 and ₱3,120.00 per annum.
The Director of Health, with the approval of the Secretary of the Department of Health, can regroup neighboring barrios and assign rural health units as warranted by circumstances.
Four pharmacist positions are created to be detailed at the Bureau of Health central office and may be assigned to provinces to manage the distribution of drugs and medicines in rural areas.
Upon approval and operation of the Act, the Office of Municipal Maternity and Charity Clinics of the Bureau of Hospitals, along with its personnel, equipment, supplies, records, and appropriations, shall be transferred to the Bureau of Health.
An initial appropriation of four million pesos is allocated for the fiscal year 1954-1955 to implement the Act.
The program envisions establishing one thousand three hundred rural health units and one hundred two Public Health Dentists nationwide.
Provincial Health Officers shall perform duties under Section 980 of the Revised Administrative Code for District Health Officers, and Municipal Health Officers perform duties under Section 1006 for Presidents of Sanitary Divisions plus those under Commonwealth Act No. 704 as amended by RA No. 185 for Maternity and Charity Clinic Physicians.
If the Health Fund is insufficient, the balance for salaries shall be taken from the appropriations provided by this Act.
This Act takes effect upon its approval, which was June 15, 1954.