Section 6Sec./Art. 6

Section 18 of Republic Act No. 6948 is repealed and Section 17 of Republic Act No. 6948 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Section 17. Veterans Wards.

The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office shall enter into agreement with all government hospitals including regional, provincial, district and municipal hospitals for the establishment of veterans wards, with an initial aggregate capacity of at least two thousand (2,000) beds to provide hospitalization and medical care to veterans and dependents:Provided,That there will be at least one (1) government hospital with a veterans ward in each province and in each city which is not a provincial capital:Provided, further,That the hospital where the veteran was confined shall immediately inform the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) accordingly of his confinement, for the latter to immediately remit to said hospital the necessary funds in payment of the confined veteran's expenses for hospitalization and medicines which shall not be less than Two hundred pesos (₱200):Provided, finally,That funds remitted by PVAO to any government hospital for this purpose shall be retained by the hospital and used for its operations in addition to its regularly appropriated funds."