Republic of the Philippines

CARAGA-Region XIII
Surigao Del Norte
The Municipality of Tubod
THE TUBOD PRIMARY CARE FACILITY

Policy No. 24-01 The Tubod Primary Care Facility Patients

Effectivity March 19, 2024 Rights
Date
Revision Date March 19, 2024
Revision No. 01 Approved by: Date:
No. of Pages 7
March 19, March 19, 2026 DANIEL L. PANGANGAAN, MD, MHO
2024

THE PATIENTS’ RIGHTS

1. Right to appropriate medical care and humane treatment. -
every person has a right to health and medical care corresponding to his
state of health, without any discrimination and within the limits of the
resources, manpower and competence available for health and medical
care at the relevant time. The patient has the right to appropriate health
and medical care of good quality. In the course of such, his human dignity,
convictions, integrity, individual needs and culture shall be respected. If
any person cannot immediately be given treatment that is medically
necessary, he shall, depending on his state of health, either be directed to
wait for care, or be referred or sent for treatment elsewhere, where the
appropriate care can be provided. If the patient has to wait for care, he
shall be informed of the reason for the delay. Patients in emergency shall
be extended immediate medical care and treatment without any deposit,
pledge, mortgage or any form of advance payment for treatment.
2. Right to informed consent. - the patient has a right to a clear,
truthful and substantial explanation, in a manner and language
understandable to the patient, of all proposed procedures, whether
diagnostic, preventive, curative, rehabilitative or therapeutic, wherein the
person who will perform the said procedure shall provide his name and
credentials to the patient, possibilities of any risk of mortality or
serious side effects, problems related to recuperation, and probability of
success and reasonable risks involved: provided, that the patient
will not be subjected to any procedure without his written informed
consent, except in the following cases:
A) in emergency cases, when the patient is at imminent risk of physical
injury, decline of death if treatment is withheld or postponed. In such
cases, the physician can perform any diagnostic or
treatment procedure as good practice of medicine dictates without such
consent;
b) when the health of the population is dependent on the adoption of a
mass health program to control epidemic;
c) when the law makes it compulsory for everyone to submit a procedure;
d) when the patient is either a minor, or legally incompetent, in which
case. A third party consent is required;
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 Republic of the Philippines
CARAGA-Region XIII
Surigao Del Norte
The Municipality of Tubod
THE TUBOD PRIMARY CARE FACILITY

e) when disclosure of material information to patient will jeopardize the

success of treatment, in which case, third party disclosure and consent
shall be in order;
f) when the patient waives his right in writing.
Informed consent shall be obtained from a patient concerned if he is of
legal age and of sound mind. In case the patient is incapable of giving
consent and a third party consent is required. The following persons, in
the order of priority stated hereunder, may give consent:
I. Spouse;
ii. Son or daughter of legal age;
iii. Either parent;
iv. Brother or sister of legal age, or
v. Guardian
If a patient is a minor, consent shall be obtained from his parents or
legal guardian. If next of kin, parents or legal guardians refuse to give
consent to a medical or surgical procedure necessary to save the life or
limb of a minor or a patient incapable of giving consent, courts, upon the
petition of the physician or any person interested in the welfare of the
patient, in a summary proceeding, may issue an order giving consent.
3. Right to privacy and confidentiality. - the privacy of the patients
must be assured at all stages of his treatment. The patient has the right
to be free from unwarranted public exposure, except in the following
cases: a) when his mental or physical condition is in controversy and the
appropriate court, in its discretion, order him to submit to a physical or
mental examination by a physician; b) when the public health and safety
so demand; and c) when the patient waives this right in writing.
The patient has the right to demand that all information, communication
and records pertaining to his care be treated as confidential. Any health
care provider or practitioner involved in the treatment of a patient and all
those who have legitimate access to the patient's record is not authorized
to divulge any information to a third party who has no concern with
the care and welfare of the patient without his consent, except: a)
when such disclosure will benefit public health and safety; b) when it is
in the interest of justice and upon the order of a competent court; and c)
when the patients waives in writing the confidential nature of such
information; d) when it is needed for continued medical treatment or
advancement of medical science subject to de-identification of patient
and shared medical confidentiality for those who have access to the
information.
Informing the spouse or the family to the first degree of the patient's
medical condition may be allowed; provided that the patient of legal age
shall have the right to choose on whom to inform. In case the patient is

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 Republic of the Philippines
CARAGA-Region XIII
Surigao Del Norte
The Municipality of Tubod
THE TUBOD PRIMARY CARE FACILITY

not of legal age or is mentally incapacitated, such information shall be

given to the parents, legal guardian or his next of kin.
4. Right to information. - in the course of his/her treatment and
hospital care, the patient or his/her legal guardian has a right to be
informed of the result of the evaluation of the nature and extent of
his/her disease, any other additional or further contemplated medical
treatment on surgical procedure or procedures, including any other
additional medicines to be administered and their generic counterpart
including the possible complications and other pertinent facts, statistics
or studies, regarding his/her illness, any change in the plan of care
before the change is made, the person's participation in the plan of
care and necessary changes before its implementation, the extent to
which payment maybe expected from philhealth or any payor and any
charges for which the patient maybe liable, the disciplines of health care
practitioners who will furnish the care and the frequency of services that
are proposed to be furnished.
The patient or his legal guardian has the right to examine and be given
an itemized bill of the hospital and medical services rendered in the
facility or by his/her physician and other health care providers, regardless
of the manner and source of payment he is entitled to a thorough
explanation of such bill.
The patient or his/her legal guardian has the right to be informed by
the physician or his/her delegate of his/her continuing health care
requirements following discharge, including instructions about home
medications, diet, physical activity and all other pertinent information to
promote health and well-being.
At the end of his/her confinement, the patient is entitled to a brief,
written summary of the course of his/her illness which shall include
at least the history, physical examination, diagnosis, medications,
surgical procedure, ancillary and laboratory procedures, and the plan of
further treatment, and which shall be provided by the attending physician.
He/she is likewise entitled to the explanation of, and to view, the
contents of medical record of his/her confinement but with the presence
of his/her attending physician or in the absence of the attending
physician, the hospital's representative. Notwithstanding that he/she
may not be able to settle his accounts by reason of financial
incapacity, he/she is entitled to reproduction, at his/her expense, the
pertinent part or parts of the medical record the purpose or
purposes of which he shall indicate in his/her written request for
reproduction. The patient shall likewise be entitled to medical
certificate, free of charge, with respect to his/her previous
confinement.

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 Republic of the Philippines
CARAGA-Region XIII
Surigao Del Norte
The Municipality of Tubod
THE TUBOD PRIMARY CARE FACILITY

5. The right to choose health care provider and facility. - the

patient is free to choose the health care provider to serve him as well as
the facility except when he is under the care of a service facility or when
public health and safety so demands or when the patient expressly waives
this right in writing.
The patient has the right to discuss his condition with a consultant
specialist, at the patient's request and expense. He also has the right to
seek for a second opinion and subsequent opinions, if appropriate, from
another health care provider/practitioner.
6. Right to self-determination. - the patient has the right to avail
himself/herself of any recommended diagnostic and treatment
procedures any person of legal age and of sound mind may make an
advance written directive for physicians to administer terminal care when
he/she suffers from the terminal phase of a terminal illness: provided that
a) he is informed of the medical consequences of his choice; b) he
releases those involved in his care from any obligation relative to the
consequences of his decision; c) his decision will not prejudice public
health and safety.
7. Right to religious belief. - the patient has the right to refuse
medical treatment or procedures which may be contrary to his religious
beliefs, subject to the limitations described in the preceding subsection:
provided, that such a right shall not be imposed by parents upon their
children who have not reached the legal age in a life threatening situation
as determined by the attending physician or the medical director of the
facility.
8. Right to medical records. - the patient is entitled to a summary of
his medical history and condition he has the right to view the contents of
his medical records, except psychiatric notes and other incriminatory
information obtained about third parties, with the attending physician
explaining contents thereof. At his expense and upon discharge of the
patient, he may obtain from the health care institution a reproduction of
the same record whether or not he has fully settled his financial
obligation with the physician or institution concerned.
The health care institution shall safeguard the confidentiality of the
medical records and to likewise ensure the integrity and authenticity of
the medical records and shall keep the same within a reasonable time
as may be determined by the department of health.
The health care institution shall issue a medical certificate to the patient
upon request any other document that the patient may require for
insurance claims shall also be made available to him within forty-five (45)
days from request.
9. Right to leave. - the patient has the right to leave hospital or any
other health care institution regardless of his physical condition:

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 Republic of the Philippines
CARAGA-Region XIII
Surigao Del Norte
The Municipality of Tubod
THE TUBOD PRIMARY CARE FACILITY

provided. That a) he/she is informed of the medical consequences of

his/her decisions b) he/she releases those involved in his/her care from
any obligation relative to the consequences of his decision; c) his/her
decision will not prejudice public health and safety.
No patient shad be detained against hi$/her will in any health care
institution on the sole basis of his failure to fully settle his financial
obligations. However, he/she shall only be allowed to leave the hospital
provided appropriate arrangements have been made to settle the unpaid
bills: provided. Further, that unpaid bills of patients shall be considered
as loss income by the hospital and health care provider/practitioner and
shall be deducted from gross income as income loss only on that
particular year.
10. Right to refuse participation in medical research. - the patient
has the right to be advised if the health care provider plans to involve
him in medical research, including but not limited to human
experimentation which may be performed only with the written informed
consent of the patient: provided, that, an institutional review board or
ethical review board in accordance with the guidelines set in the
declaration of Helsinki be established for research involving human
experimentation: provided, further, that the department of health shall
safeguard the continuing training and education of future health care
provider/practitioner to ensure the development of the health care
delivery in the country: provided, furthermore, that the patient involved in
the human experimentation shall be made aware of the provisions of the
declaration of Helsinki and its respective guidelines.
11. Right to correspondence and to receive visitors. - the patient
has the right to communicate with relatives and other persons and to
receive visitors subject to reasonable limits prescribed by the rules and
regulations of the health care institution.
12. Right to express grievances. - the patient has the right to
express complaints and grievances about the care and services received
without fear of discrimination or reprisal and to know about the disposition
of such complaints such a system shall afford all parties concerned with
the opportunity to settle amicably all grievances.
13. Right to be informed of his rights and obligations as a
patient. - every person has the right to be informed of his rights and
obligations as a patient the department of health in coordination with
heath care providers, professional and civic groups, the media, health
insurance corporations, people's organizations local government
organizations, shall launch and sustain a nationwide information and
education campaign to make known to people their rights as
patients, as declared in this act such rights and obligations of patients

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 Republic of the Philippines
CARAGA-Region XIII
Surigao Del Norte
The Municipality of Tubod
THE TUBOD PRIMARY CARE FACILITY

shall be posted in a bulletin board conspicuously placed in a health care

institution.
It shall be the duty of health care institutions to inform of their rights as
well as of the institution's rules and regulations that apply to the conduct
of the patient while in the care of such institution.

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