BY ARGYLL GEDUCOS
As the government intensifies the country’s testing capacity, Malacañang called on 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.
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 kinakana niyo pa ang taumbayan,” 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 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.
