Garin: Probe on high cost of Covid-19 testing not ‘out of vindictiveness vs previous admin’

Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (PPAB)

Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin says the House isn't being vindictive in its probe on the initial high cost of Covid-19 test packages during the early days of the pandemic.

“We are not doing this out of vindictiveness for the previous administration, no. We are doing this para hindi maulit (so it doesn't happen again),” Garin said during a House oversight hearing on Monday, July 8.

During a Committee on Appropriations hearimg last month, Garin pointed out that the Covid-19 testing in the Philippines was originally priced at a lofty P8,150.

However, she noted that by using a certain formula from the World Health Organization (WHO), it will generate a much cheaper recommended price.

“Pag nilabas mo ‘yung formula na ‘yan (If you utilize that formula) at that point in time, it’s around P2,000 plus,” she said.

Garin, a former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, emphasized that with the huge investment of the government in Covid-19 testing, the test packages should have been given for free.

“If you look at the global data, Covid testing on a similar date and time was only at P1,500 to P2,000 max. In fact, other countries were giving it for free,” the congresswoman noted.

“So, ito yung gusto naming himayin para hindi na maulit (this is what we want to uncover so it won't happen again,” she stressed.

“No’ng nagsimula ang PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) ng ‘oh sige Covid testing P8,150’ (When PhilHealth started 'oh go ahead Covid testing is P8,150'), all the other private and government providers followed suit,” she said.

For his part, DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa says he will make sure that these concerns are addressed, particularly with PhilHealth's handling of the initial high cost of Covid-19 testing.

“We will look at how PhilHealth addressed the costing of reimbursement kasi mukhang mali ang costing no’ng una kaya masyadong mataas (because it looks like the initial costing is wrong, that’s why it was too high),” said Herbosa.

In response, Garin said Herbosa should also look into the people responsible for the costly price, as well as their basis for coming up with the price.

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