Section 5Sec./Art. 5

Criteria for the Establishment of Specialty Centers.- The establishment of specialty centers shall adhere to guidelines set by the DOH on planning and prioritizing health facilities based on the following criteria:

(a) Upgrading of hospitals based on the Resource Stratified Framework developed by the DOH for each specialty care;

(b) Evidence of the health needs and demands, including disease burden, in the catchment populations of the DOH facilities;

(c) Service capability of hospitals and geographic or physical access;

(d) Appropriate level of specialized healthcare provider role in the continuum of care, including roles of the DOH hospitals as referral facilities for province-wide and city-wide healthcare provider networks;

(e) Availability of competent health human resources for specialized healthcare; and

(f) Operational financial performance of the DOH facilities, including accreditation, to avail of specialized healthcare packages from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.