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Sen. Go warns COVID-19 test providers not to take advantage of crisis
Sen. Go warns COVID-19 test providers not to take advantage of crisis
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday reminded hospitals and healthcare providers to comply with the price range for COVID-19 test and test kits.
(OFFICE OF SEN. BONG GO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Go, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, said hospitals and healthcare providers ought to comply with just and equitable price range for COVID-19 testing and not take advantage of the crisis.
He made the call amid reports of unscrupulous business entities that have been jacking up the prices of COVID testing services.
“Dapat silang sumunod at parusahan ang dapat paparusahan diyan kapag hindi sila sumunod. Uulitin ko, hindi ito yung panahon ng pananamantala sa ating mga kababayan. Naghihirap an gating mga kababayan (They should follow and those who don’t should be punished if they don’t follow. I repeat. This is not the time to take advantage of our people. Our people are already having a hard time),” Go said in a statement.
“Tumulong kayo, ‘yun na ang magiging kontribusyon ninyo. Huwag ninyo pong gawing negosyo ang kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino, (Just help out, and that is your contribution. Don’t use the people’s health to take advantage for business),” he said.
According to Go, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are now looking at the possible imposition of certain penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment or both for erring individuals, manufacturers, importers, traders, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, health care providers or licensed COVID-19 testing laboratories who are charging unreasonably high price.
At the same time, the lawmaker urged the government to work closely with private institutions and other healthcare providers to ensure continued and unhampered COVID-19 testing services.
“Ang atin naman is walang maantala na serbisyo. Sa ngayon po talagang kailangan natin yung testing. So ni-isang panahon na maantala eh hindi po dapat (what is important is to ensure continuity of service. As of now, we really need the testing. So this is not the right time to take advantage),” he stressed.
“Ang importante dito is magtulungan, mga pribadong institusyon, Red Cross, gobyerno, PhilHealth, magtulungan, mabayaran, tuluy-tuloy po ‘yung serbisyo at hindi po maantala, (What is important here is to help each other out, including private institution, the Red Cross, the government, PhilHealth, they should be paid. So we can ensure continuous and unhampered services),” Go reiterated.