President Duterte may issue an order putting a price ceiling on the cost of real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests used to detect the new coronavirus disease to ensure its affordability, Malacañang said Tuesday.
(ARMAN BAYLON / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The health department earlier recommended the issuance of an executive order that will regulate the prices of COVID diagnostic test amid varying costs in laboratories.
"Well, ang Presidente po ay nag-issue ng executive order imposing price caps sa medicines so I don’t think it is impossible for him to issue this executive order," Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said during a televised press briefing.
Roque appealed to healthcare facilities that received donated testing equipment from the government or the private sector to bring down the cost of the coronavirus test. He discouraged these beneficiaries from earning huge profits from these vital tests that help screen people with the coronavirus.
"Ang panawagan po natin napakadaming laboratories, gobyerno po ang nag-donate o kaya pribadong sektor ang nag-donate ng makina at mga test kits, ibaba ninyo po ang mga presyo (We are appealing to the laboratories: The government or the private sector donated the machines and test kits, please bring down your prices)," he said.
"Alam ko po may mga nagnanais sa inyo bagama’t non-profit kayo na kumita; huwag naman po. Ibigay na po natin sa taumbayan iyong benepisyo ‘pag kayo po’y nakatanggap ng libreng makina galing sa gobyerno at sa pribadong sektor o mga libreng mga testing kits. Iyon po talaga ang pangunahing pamamaraan para mapababa po ang halaga ng testing (I know some would like to earn although they're non-profit, please don't. Let's give the benefit to the people if you're given free machines or free testing kits from the government and the private sector. It's really the foremost way to bring down the price of testing)," he said.
On Monday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH is awaiting the President's decision on the recommendation to mandate a price cap for coronavirus swab tests in hospitals and other health facilities.
Vergeire said the health department has called for the regulation of the COVID-19 tests after monitoring the different prices of laboratories across the country. A diagnostic test reportedly costs as high as P12,000.
Roque said they hope the cost of coronavirus tests would further go down once the pool testing method is implemented across the country. The group testing, which allows the testing of more people using fewer resources, is still under pilot study in some areas.
"‘Antay din po tayo, naka-pilot na po ang pooled testing. ‘Pag napatupad na po natin ang wide scale pooled testing talaga pong bababa ang presyo (Let's wait since pooled testing is implemented in pilot areas. Once pooled testing is implemented on a wide-scale, the cost of testing will really decrease)," he said.