Reorganization of Tuberculosis Division

The Division must have a chief and an assistant chief, appointed by the Secretary of Health.
The chief receives annual compensation at the rate of seven thousand pesos.
The assistant chief receives annual compensation at the rate of six thousand pesos.
The Secretary of Health appoints the Division’s technical, clerical and other personnel and fixes their compensation in accordance with law.
All subordinate personnel of the present Division of Tuberculosis in the Department of Health must continue in office with at least the same compensation.

The Division must coordinate, direct, and implement a well-balanced, comprehensive and intensive scheme of tuberculosis control services in the country.
The scheme must include prevention by direct (BCG immunization) and indirect methods, diagnosis, treatment, social rehabilitation, and public health training for laymen and medical personnel.
The scheme must include research, epidemiological and statistical studies, and national and international pooling of information.
The Division must establish and maintain at least thirty fully-equipped, fully-manned provincial TB centers within four years, each with diagnostic laboratory, X-ray and treatment facilities (surgical and non-surgical) and providing free services.
The Division must operate and supervise wards for TB patients in provincial hospitals where there are provincial TB centers.

The Division must establish and maintain at least thirty mobile X-ray units within four years to reach rural areas with no access to the chest center.

The Division must establish and maintain at least thirty mobile TB prevention units within the same four-year period, to undertake mass BCG immunization of susceptible children and young adults.
The mobile TB prevention units must provide intensive health education of the public through loudspeaker attached to wagons, lectures, movies, leaflets.
The mobile TB prevention units must carry out home-visiting using home-visitors in rural areas.
The mobile TB prevention units must gather epidemiological information on TB.

The Division must establish and maintain at least six village rest settlements in strategic and suitable geographic areas in all the three principal regions of the Philippines.
The village rest settlements must serve patients with initial or convalescing tuberculosis who have no place in sanatoria or hospitals.
The Division must facilitate rehabilitation and replacement of patients and their families into normal society by teaching gainful occupations under proper medical control.

The Division must establish and maintain a National Tuberculosis Center as the central headquarters for directing public health tuberculosis work throughout the country.
The National Tuberculosis Center must receive all reports and maintain statistical and epidemiological information.
The National Tuberculosis Center must serve as a training center in tuberculosis for all categories of public health workers in the country.
The functions include pooling tuberculosis information and exchanging it with other countries.
The Division must cooperate with all agencies, governmental and voluntary, in matters of general public health welfare.

A National Advisory Council on Tuberculosis is created.
The Council must be composed of the Secretary of Health as chairman, and one representative each of the Department of Labor, Department of Education, and the Social Welfare Administration, designated by their respective heads.
The Council must include:
- A representative of the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, and
- A representative each of two civic organizations designated by the President of the Philippines.
The chief of the Division of Tuberculosis serves as the executive-secretary of the Council.
The Council must give advice to the Division regarding the performance of the Division’s functions.

The Division must receive and take over, when ready to be turned over fully to the Government, the FOA-PHILCUSA and WHO-UNICEF-assisted TB and BCG units.
The Division must receive and take over all tuberculosis clinics supported by provincial or city governments if the concerned provinces and cities agree.
The Division must receive and take over the TB public health activities of the Department of Health, Department of Education, and Social Welfare Administration.
The Division must be authorized and directed to receive, staff, and maintain any TB center or pavilion that the Philippine Tuberculosis Society may turn over voluntarily to the Division.

In lieu of appropriations for the present Division of Tuberculosis in the Department of Health, Republic Act No. 1136 appropriates, out of any funds in the National Treasury otherwise appropriated, two million five thousand pesos, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the purposes of the Act for fiscal year nineteen hundred fifty-five.
The necessary sum for the operation of the Division in subsequent years must be included in the General Appropriation Act.
Republic Act No. 1136 takes effect upon approval.
The Act was approved on June 16, 1954.