DOH: PPEs procured by government 'at par' with WHO standards

The Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday, Sept. 7, that the personal protective equipment (PPE) procured by the government for healthcare workers were “at par” with the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The procured PPE sets from the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) are cheaper and at par with WHO standards,” the DOH said in a statement.
“The technical specifications set during the procurement of the PPE sets were based on WHO Standards. Additionally, the PPE sets delivered were inspected, verified, and found to be in order and conformity with the technical specifications set,” it added.
It added that it did not receive “any complaints from healthcare workers on the quality of the PPE sets procured.”
The DOH also maintained that PPEs were procured at a lower cost.
“Despite the high level of demand and limited global supply, the PPE sets were procured at a much lower cost than pre-COVID-19 prices. The DOH was able to procure the PPE sets from PS-DBM at a price ranging from P1,700 to less than P2,000,” it said.
“They were also cheaper than the DOH’s allocated budget of P2,000 per unit as contained in the Purchase Request (PR) to the PS-DBM,” it added.
The PPE sets include nine (9) components such as coverall suits, gloves, N95 mask, head cover, shoe cover, surgical mask, surgical gown, apron, and face shield, the DOH said.
The DOH said it “remains accountable and transparent to the public regarding the use of funds.”
The Senate is currently investigating the DOH for alleged “deficiencies” in handling funds for the COVID-19 response.