Mandatory Emergency Medical Assistance

Section 1 obligates hospitals and clinics to give emergency assistance that is appropriate within their capabilities.
Section 1 covers the provision of facilities and medicine necessary to extend emergency care.
Section 3 enforces the duty on specific hospital personnel when they refuse or fail to render the appropriate assistance after the case is brought to their attention.

Section 2 allows private hospitals or clinics to treat expenses and losses of earnings incurred for medicines, facilities and services beyond first aid as deductible expenses and losses for income tax purposes.
Section 2 caps the deductible amounts at not to exceed fifty thousand pesos per year.
Section 2 permits the deductible amounts and losses to be carried over for a period of five years.
Section 2 overrides conflicting rules by stating the benefit applies any provision of law or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding.

Section 3 imposes criminal liability on any hospital director, administrator, officer-in-charge or physician who refuse[s] or fail[s] without good cause to render the appropriate assistance under Section 1.
Section 3 also imposes criminal liability on any nurse, midwife or medical attendant who refuse[s] to extend the appropriate assistance, subject to existing rules, or who neglect[s] to notify or call a physician.
Section 3 ties liability to instances where the emergency case had been brought to [the person’s] attention (for the refusal or failure to act).
Section 3 treats refusal or failure without good cause as punishable conduct.

Section 3 provides a penalty of imprisonment of one month and one day to one year and one day for the covered refusals or failures.
Section 3 provides a fine of three hundred pesos to one thousand pesos.
Section 3 specifies that physician liability is without prejudice to the provisions of Republic Act Numbered Twenty-three hundred eighty-two in the case of physicians.
Section 3 provides that for government hospitals, the penalty imposed on the responsible person(s) is without prejudice to administrative action that may be proper.
Section 3 provides that for private hospitals, in addition to the criminal penalty, the license to operate shall be suspended or revoked, whenever justified.

Section 4 requires that subject to the approval of the Secretary of Health, the Bureau of Medical Services shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the Act.
Section 4 makes the Secretary of Health’s approval a condition for the Bureau of Medical Services’ issuance of implementing rules.

Section 5 repeals any law or laws or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of the Act.
Section 6 provides that the Act takes effect upon its approval.
The Act was approved on October 23, 1972 by President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
The Act was Republic Act No. 6615, enacted October 23, 1972, titled “AN ACT REQUIRING GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS AND CLINICS TO EXTEND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IN EMERGENCY CASES.”