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Philippines has only 2,000 available COVID-19 testing kits – RITM


Senators on Monday expressed their concern over the limited number of available coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing kits in the country.

"As we speak today, our stock on hand is good for 2,000 tests," Dr. Rosanna Ditangco from the Research Institute on Tropical Medicine (RITM) testified during a Senate inquiry.

Ditangco added that the institute was requesting for an additional P43 million in funding for "various needs,'' including the procurement of COVID-19 testing kits.

Another Department of Health official meanwhile said that more equipment was arriving through the World Health Organization (WHO).

"There's an incoming 4,500 extraction kits po from WHO. That would be good for 2,000 individuals,"  Dr. Alethea De Guzman said.

Senator Nancy Binay said the limited number of testing kits was alarming.

"I don't want to panic but you're making me panic. 'Yung naririnig namin ngayon is parang hindi niyo pinaghandaan na magkakaroon tayo ng local transmission na mismong si Secretary [Francisco] Duque na ang nagsabi before na it's just a question of when and then maririnig namin sa inyo na we only have 2,000 testing kits out of our 100 million population. Hindi ba nakakatakot?" Binay asked.

Meanwhile, Senate Committee on Health and Demography Christopher "Bong" Go said that testing kits should be made available in far-flung provinces for the effective containment of the virus.

"Madami na pong maaaring mahawa dahil sa tagal ng resulta, lalong-lalo na po doon sa Mindanao at sa Visayas. Dapat nakakalat po yung mga testing kits natin at yung pinakamabilis na paraan na makumpirma kaagad kung positive po ba," Go said.

"Magca-cause po ng panic 'yun kung matatagalan po 'yung resulta," he added.

Senator Imee Marcos, who led the Senate hearing, said she had misgivings over how the DOH would use the requested P2 billion supplemental budget.

"Ang kanilang testing kit para sa publiko ay 2,000 pieces lamang. Hindi ka ba maloloka niyan? Pagkatapos humihinigi sila ng supplemental budget na P2 billion," Marcos said in an ambush interview.

"Sana naman ilagay naman 'yan para sa publiko. Ano bang mas urgent kaysa sa testing kit? Pambihira naman sila," she added.

Duque previously said that President Rodrigo Duterte had approved the supplemental budget "in principle."

Over P2 billion would be for the procurement of protective gear for health workers and an additional P10 million would be for supplies of face masks in the country, added the Health Secretary. — DVM, GMA News

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