Red Cross may roll out P2,000 saliva test for COVID-19 soon —Gordon

The Philippine Red Cross aims to roll out the saliva test for COVID-19 detection in the country at a lower cost, its chairman Senator Richard Gordon said on Tuesday.

"We submitted it about a month and a half ago to the DOH (Department of Health). Now it's in the hands of the Health Technology Assessment Council composed of doctors, medical doctors who already approve of it and scientists," Gordon said in an online interview.

"But let me tell you, dapat may sense of urgency 'yan... Imagine ginagamit na 'yan sa Japan, ginagamit na 'yan sa Singapore," he added, noting that a go signal from the government experts is still being awaited.

More poor people and workers would be tested through this cheaper test which was estimated to cost P2,000 each, according to Gordon.

The price is P1,500 lower compared to the P3,500 swab test conducted by the humanitarian organization.

"Bawas sa PPE [personal protective equipment], hindi mo na kailangan ng PPE diyan unless you go to the lab. They will just spit on the vial and they will give it to us already for testing," he added.

The PRC will have to buy some equipment worth $15,000 for every laboratory that will process the saliva samples.

"So marami-rami din 'yan. O, saan namin kukunin ang pera? So kailangan mabayaran kami," Gordon said, referring to the outstanding P1-billion debt of the PhilHealth to the PRC for COVID-19 tests conducted from September 1 to mid-October.

On Tuesday night, PhilHealth announced that it released P500 million as partial payment to the PRC and vowed to expedite the release of the remaining balance. — BM, GMA News