By Jhon Aldrin Casinas
The SM Foundation donated about P3 million-worth of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits to the local government of Pasig City.
The SM Foundation donated about P3 million-worth of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits to the local government of Pasig City. (Vico Sotto / via Facebook /MANILA BULLETIN)
Mayor Vico Sotto said 2,000 PCR test kits were donated by the SM Foundation. The donation is seen to further boost the COVID-19 testing capacity of the local government with the help of The Medical City (TMC).
According to Sotto, the donated test kits were worth a total of P2,956,800 with each testing kit costing P1,400.
“Na-deliver na ito sa The Medical City (It has been delivered to The Medical City,” he said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “The local government unit’s (LGU) health workers will swab the patients, and TMC will process the tests.”.
The Pasig City government has earlier partnered with TMC to increase its COVID-19 testing capacity to up to 270 tests every week.
Sotto said the partnership was to address the backlog in testing of persons suspected with the disease in Pasig.
He noted that a “broad-based testing” is the key to slowing down the spread of COVID-19, which has already infected over 300 people in Pasig, according to the local government’s latest tally.
“With our agreement with The Medical City, we have increased our capacity to up to 270 tests per week,” Sotto said.
The agreement came after TMC was granted Stage 5 accreditation by the Department of Health (DOH).
Meanwhile, the city mayor noted that the local government does not accept cash donations, and only those in-kind donations are accepted.
“Bukod sa mahirap ang proseso ng pagtanggap, paggastos, at pag-audit nito, ayokong magkaroon ng duda sa kung saan napunta ang pera (Apart from the difficult process of receiving, spending, and auditing, I don’t want to create doubts about where the money was spent),” Sotto explained.
He urged the public to report those posing on behalf of the local government asking and accepting cash donations.