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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Palace warns vs increasing swab test price

Palace warns vs increasing swab test price

Published Oct 2, 2020 11:51 am

As the government intensifies the country's testing capacity, Malacañang reminded facilities that offer reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab testing not to jack up the rates of the test, especially if they got their machines and kits for free.

(JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque after he revealed last week that President Duterte might sign an executive order (EO) that will impose a price cap for RT-PCR swab tests for COVID-19.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Roque told medical institutions to not jack up the rates of RT-PCR tests as they only make people hesitate to have themselves tested.

"Mahiya naman kayo. Binigay na nga sa inyo ng libre, tapos kinankana niyo pa ang taumbayan (Have shame. You received it for free and then you have the audacity to take advantage of the people)," he told "The Source" Friday.

Roque urged the public to go to the following institutions if they want to avail of cheap testing:

• Philippine Children's Medical Center in Quezon City
• National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City
• Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City
• Perpetual Help Medical Center in Las Piñas

According to the Palace official, PCR tests should not cost more than P2,000.

"These machines and test kits were donated by Project ARK and PCR tests cost P1,750 to P2,000," he said.

‘’Wala pong (There's no) justification for anything higher than P1,750 to P2,000.’’

Other medical institutions that offer cheap RT-PCR tests are:

• Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Caloocan City
• Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital, San Fernando, Pampanga
• Western Visayas Medical Center, Iloilo
• Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu City
• University of Cebu Medical Center, Mandaue City
• Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center, Tacloban, Leyte
• Baguio General Hospital, Baguio City
• Zamboanga City Medical Center, Zamboanga City
• St. Paul's Hospital, Tacloban, Leyte
• Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital, Silay City, Negros Occidental
• Cebu Molecular Laboratory, Cebu City

The Department of Health (DoH) has submitted to the Office of the President a recommendation for the issuance of an EO that imposes a ceiling on the prices of RT-PCR tests.

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