Advance deposit hindi kailangan para magamot sa ospital

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | November 24, 2022

Dear Chief Acosta,

Noong isang araw ay naaksidente ang aking kaibigan kaya’t dinala siya sa pinakamalapit na ospital para ipagamot. Subalit, siya ay hindi tinanggap sa kadahilanang wala silang pera na pang-deposit sa kanyang pagpapagamot. Legal ba ang ginawang pagtanggi ng ospital? - Marvin

Dear Marvin,

Para sa iyong kaalaman, ang batas na nakasasaklaw sa iyong katanungan ay ang Section 1 ng Batas Pambansa Bilang 702, na inamyendahan ng Republic Act No. 8344 o mas kilala sa tawag na “An Act Penalizing the Refusal of Hospitals and Medical Clinics to Administer Appropriate Initial Medical Treatment and Support in Emergency or Serious Cases” kung saan nakasaad na:

“SECTION 1. In emergency or serious cases, it shall be unlawful for any proprietor, president, director, manager or any other officer, and/or medical practitioner or employee of a hospital or medical clinic to request, solicit, demand or accept any deposit or any other form of advance payment as a prerequisite for confinement or medical treatment of a patient in such hospital or medical clinic or to refuse to administer medical treatment and support as dictated by good practice of medicine to prevent death or permanent disability: Provided, That by reason of inadequacy of the medical capabilities of the hospital or medical clinic, the attending physician may transfer the patient to a facility where the appropriate care can be given, after the patient or his next of kin consents to said transfer and after the receiving hospital or medical clinic agrees to the transfer: Provided, however, That when the patient is unconscious, incapable of giving consent and/or unaccompanied, the physician can transfer the patient even without his consent: Provided, further, That such transfer shall be done only after necessary emergency treatment and support have been administered to stabilize the patient and after it has been established that such transfer entails less risks than the patient's continued confinement: Provided, furthermore, That no hospital or clinic, after being informed of the medical indications for such transfer, shall refuse to receive the patient nor demand from the patient or his next of kin any deposit or advance payment: Provided, finally, That strict compliance with the foregoing procedure on transfer shall not be construed as a refusal made punishable by this Act.”

Ayon sa batas, ipinagbabawal ang paghingi, pagkuha o pagtanggap ng deposit o iba pang anyo ng advance payment bilang kondisyon sa pagtanggap ng pasyente ng ospital o medical clinic o paglapat ng kaukulang gamutan at suporta na ididikta ng mabuting kasanayan sa medisina sa mga emergency o serious cases. Ang emergency ay nangangahulugang mayroong agarang panganib at kung hindi maglalapat ng paunang lunas ay maaaring magresulta sa pagkamatay o permanenteng kapansanan ng pasyente. Ang serious case naman ay tumutukoy sa bigat ng kondisyon ng pasyente na kung bibigyan ng kaukulang gamutan ay maaari niyang ikamatay o magdulot ng permanenteng kapansanan. (Sec. 2)

Sa iyong sitwasyon, kung ang kaso ng iyong kaibigan ay maituturing na emergency o serious case, labag sa batas ang pagtanggi na ginawa ng ospital dahil lamang sa hindi ninyo pagbibigay ng deposit. Kung ito ang sitwasyon, maaari kayong maghain ng reklamo laban sa ospital.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.