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REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7600 - AN ACT
PROVIDING INCENTIVES TO ALL GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE HEALTH INSTITUTIONS
WITH ROOMING-IN AND BREAST-FEEDING PRACTICES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Section 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as "The Rooming-In and Breast-feeding Act of 1992". Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State adopts
rooming-in as a national policy to encourage, protect and support the
practice of breast-feeding. It shall create an environment where
basic physical, emotional, and psychological needs of mothers and
infants are fulfilled through the practice of rooming-in and
breast-feeding. Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of
this Act, the following definitions are adopted: CHAPTER I Sec. 4. Applicability. — The provisions in this Chapter shall apply to all private and government health institutions adopting rooming-in and breast-feeding as defined in this Act. Sec. 5. Normal Spontaneous Deliveries. — The
following newborn infants shall be put to the breast of the mother
immediately after birth and forthwith roomed-in within thirty (30)
minutes. Sec. 6. Deliveries by Caesarian. — Infants delivered by caesarian section shall be roomed-in and breast-fed within three (3) to four (4) hours after birth. Sec. 7. Deliveries Outside Health Institutions. — Newborns delivered outside health institutions whose mothers have been admitted to the obstetrics department/unit and who both meet the general conditions stated in Sec. 5 of this Act, shall be roomed-in and breast-fed immediately. Sec. 8. Exemptions. — Infants whose conditions do not permit rooming-in and breast-feeding as determined by the attending physician, and infants whose mothers are either: a) seriously ill; b) taking medications contraindicated to breast-feeding; c) violent psychotics; or d) whose conditions do not permit breast-feeding and rooming-in as determined by the attending physician shall be exempted from the provisions of Section s 5, 6, and 7: provided, that these infants shall be fed expressed breastmilk or wet-nursed as may be determined by the attending physician. Sec. 9. Right of the Mother to Breast-feed. — It
shall be the mother's right to breast-feed her child who equally has
the right to her breastmilk. Bottlefeeding shall be allowed only
after the mother has been informed by the attending health personnel of
the advantages of breast-feeding and the proper techniques of infant
formula feeding and the mother has opted in writing to adopt infant
formula feeding for her infant. CHAPTER II SECTION 10. Provision of Facilities for Breastmilk Collection and Storage. — The health institution adopting rooming-in and breast-feeding shall provide equipment, facilities, and supplies for breastmilk collection, storage and utilization, the standards of which shall be defined by the Department of Health. CHAPTER III SECTION 11. Continuing Education, Re-education and Training of Health Personnel. — The Department of Health with the assistance of other government agencies, professional and non-governmental organizations shall conduct continuing information, education, re-education, and training programs for physicians, nurses, midwives, nutritionist-dietitians, community health workers and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and other health personnel on current and updated lactation management. Information materials shall be given to all health personnel involved in maternal and infant care in health institutions. SECTION 12. Information Dissemination to Pregnant Women. — During the prenatal, perinatal and postnatal consultations and/or confinements of the mothers or pregnant women in a health institution, it shall be the obligation of the health institution and the health personnel to immediately and continuously teach, train, and support the women on current and updated lactation management and infant care, through participatory strategies such as organization of mother's clubs and breast-feeding support groups and to distribute written information materials on such matters free of charge. CHAPTER IV SECTION 13. Incentives. — The expenses incurred by a private health institution in complying with the provisions of this Act, shall be deductible expenses for income tax purposes up to twice the actual amount incurred: provided, that the deduction shall apply for the taxable period when the expenses were incurred: provided, further, that the hospital shall comply with the provisions of this Act within six (6) months after its approval. Government health institutions shall receive an additional appropriation equivalent to the savings they may derive as a result of adopting rooming-in and breast-feeding. The additional appropriation shall be included in their budget for the next fiscal year. SECTION 14. Sanctions. — The Secretary of Health is hereby empowered to impose sanctions for the violation of this Act and the rules issued thereunder. Such sanctions may be in the form of reprimand or censure and in cases of repeated willful violations, suspension of the permit to operate of the erring health institution. SECTION 15. Rules and Regulations. — The Secretary of Health, in consultation with other government agencies, professional and non-governmental organizations concerned shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. — All acts, laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. SECTION 17. Separability Clause. — If any clause, sentence, paragraph or part of this Act shall be declared to be invalid, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect. SECTION 18. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect one hundred twenty (120) days after publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved: June 2, 1992 |
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