P.R. Laws tit. 24, § 323
The following terms and phrases shall have the meanings indicated below:
(1) Department. — Is the Department of Health of Puerto Rico.
(2) Commonwealth. — Is the Government of Puerto Rico.
(3) Hospital or hospital institutions. — Means an institution that provides services to the community, offering treatment and medical or surgical diagnoses for illnesses and/or obstetric treatment to hospitalized patients, pediatric services, newborn wards, neonatal intensive care units, including general, special, and other types of hospitals and facilities related thereto, such as: intensive care, patient intermediate and self-care units, x-ray and radiotherapy services, clinical and anatomical pathology laboratories and others; outpatient doctor’s offices, outpatient consulting departments, central services and related services facilities that operate in conjunction with hospitals, but does not include institutions that mainly provide home care or custodial care. It also includes places devoted principally to the operation of facilities to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical care for no less than twelve (12) consecutive hours, to two (2) or more individuals with no family relationship, who are suffering from an ailment, sickness, lesion or deformity; every office, physician’s office or home, where pregnant women are received to be seen or treated during an abortion, childbirth or puerperium, regardless of the number of patients or the length of stay; Provided, That the part or section of the residence where the physician has his medical office or sees patients, shall not be considered as his dwelling, even though it is considered as an integral part thereof, in terms of the physical layout of his residence. Regardless of the provisions in the above sentence, the office, house or medical office of a physician shall not be deemed as a hospital within the meaning of this chapter, when a sudden or unexpected birth or abortion occurs therein, and under such circumstances that prevent the immediate transfer of the patient to a hospital, but in such cases, the patient shall only be treated by the physician in his office, home or medical office, until the patient is transferred to the corresponding hospital, and such transfer must be made within a time span of not more than twelve (12) hours.
(4) Child stealing. — Is the crime typified in Section 160 of the Penal Code of Puerto Rico.
(5) Secretary. — Is the Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico.
(6) Kidnapping. — Is the crime typified in Sections 137 and 137A of the Penal Code of Puerto Rico.
(7) Specialized units. — Are newborn wards, neonatal intensive care units, obstetric areas, and pediatric departments.
History —June 18, 1999, No. 133, § 3.