Tasks DOH Sec. Duque to find ways to achieve this by next year
(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte said he would be looking for ways to lower the prices of COVID-19 tests, including swab tests or RT-PCR tests, to make it more affordable.
He is even thinking of having government shoulder the swab tests so that the public, especially the poor and marginalized, do not have to pay for these.
President Duterte even directed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to look for ways so that the RT-PCR tests or COVID-19 swab tests would be made “free of charge.” If it is possible, these free tests should be done in government hospitals and health centers.
Duterte said the government should buy those that are needed for the swab tests. He said he would look for the money so government can pay for these tests.
“Tingnan ko kung may pera at magbili na lang tayo and in all government hospitals or in health centers, mabigay natin libre. Free of charge. Target the first or second quarter if you can have a program where I can review and look for the money,” Duterte told Duque on Monday night, Dec. 7, in his regular televised “Talk to the Nation” address.
The 75-year old Philippine leader said that he realized that this is key in solving why COVID-19 cases are still rising despite the constant reminder of the government to wear masks, maintain physical distancing, and handwashing.
-Duterte: Sacred duty of gov’t to protect citizens-
“So is there a way that we can spend for all of this testing? Makabili tayo, makamura tayo, kung may pera pa maghanap tayo so that it is actually to me the sacred duty of government to protect its citizens. Now, in cases of pandemic which is beyond control by anybody, that is why it’s spreading in the whole world. It’s not an epidemic, it’s pandemic,” he observed.
Duterte said the problem were the “asymptomatic” cases, or persons who don’t know that they are COVID-19 positive because they don’t feel any symptoms, and so feel no need to undergo COVID-19 testing.
-Asymptomatic persons spreading the virus-
These asymptomatic persons go about their usual chores and get in contact with people, touch surfaces and infect others because they are not aware that they have the virus.
“But the problem is kagaya ng asymptomatic. Mayroon ka nandiyan ‘yung nag-hibernate ‘yung microbe and yet you do not feel anything because asymptomatic. And hindi mo alam you pass it around because you don’t feel anything. You go around giving it to other people,” Duterte explained in his recent Talk to the Nation.
The President said he will discuss the matter with Duque and National Action Plan against COVID-19 Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., who is also the designated vaccine czar.
Duterte said that the expensive COVID-19 tests may have prevented some from taking the tests, especially if they don’t have the money to pay for these,
“Alam mo ang importante pala sa totoo lang and I realize now it’s the testing — ‘yung swabbing pati ‘yung test. Kasi mahal, I’m trying to figure out a cheaper way of doing it and I will discuss it with the Secretary of Health and General Galvez, how to come up with a cheaper swabbing and testing kasi magbayad ka mahal lalo na sa airport,” he said.
Duterte said that in airports for instance, prices of COVID-19 swab tests were expensive.
This has been a problem for students and the marginalized sector for instance who cannot contend with the “extra expenses.”
Duterte said that it would be up to the government to look for measures that would make COVID-19 swab tests more affordable for the general public. He said that this should be done to limit the virus transmission.
If more of the population are given swab tests, they will know if they have the virus even if they are asymptomatic.
“So iyan ngayon ang problema. Dapat if we are to really avoid and limit the virus, government itself must provide for the well curative and palliative or whatever preventive and one of those is really the swabbing para malaman ka,” Duterte said.
-Duque reports price range of swab tests-
During the televised meeting, Duque reported to President Duterte that the DOH had already set a price range for RT-PCR testing.
For private laboratories, he said the prices range anywhere from P4.500 to P5,000. For government laboratories, the cost per test is P3,800.
The DOH chief also explained that Philhealth shoulders most of the payment for these tests.
“At ang PhilHealth naman ay patuloy na nagbabayad. Ang pinakamataas pong bayad ng PhilHealth is P3,409. So maliit na lang po ‘yung idadagdag iyong out of pocket parang 400 pesos na lang po,” he said.
But the President interrupted Duque’s report, and asked, “Can we not undertake the testing by government?”
“Kailangan po talaga ‘yung private laboratory, Mr. President, kasi limited po ang capacity ng ating government laboratories. Although, we have been expanding our capacity, Mr. President,” Duque replied.
But Duterte noted that this should not be the case as it was the government’s “sacred duty” to “protect its citizens” and included in this duty is to provide free COVID-19 tests for the public.
He said free COVID-19 tests, aside from providing free vaccines for the poor and marginalized, is what the government should work on.
(Eagle News Service)
