Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 14) — President Rodrigo Duterte ordered on Monday the “immediate” purchase of rapid test kits to help contain COVID-19.
Despite the lack of approval from the country’s Food and Drug Administration, Duterte said he will take the risk and approve the purchase of the test kits.
“I will take the risk. I will order the Health Department and everybody. In the meantime, the private sector is doing it. Maybe we can take over someday or do it all together with your help. I am clearing the way by ordering the purchase,” he said in a late-night briefing Monday.
Duterte pointed out that these test kits have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Tutal walang FDA local, but what we are trying to buy outside is approved by the FDA United States of America,” he added.
However, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles clarified that the DOH cannot directly purchase the test kits due to the lack of approval by the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Council.
Under Section 34 of the Universal Healthcare Law, “any investments on any health technology, or development of any benefit package by the DOH and PhilHealth shall be based on the positive recommendations of the HTA.”
“The Universal Healthcare Law specifically provides that the DOH and PhilHealth, cannot procure unless there is approval by the HTA council. OCD (Office of Civil Defense) can do the purchasing, just not DOH or PhilHealth,” Nograles added.
COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. added that the test kits will cost around ₱3.3 billion.
“The PCR we’ll be buying will be worth ₱3.3 billion to include the capacitation of more or less 28 accredited civilian and government hospitals,” Galvez said in the same briefing.
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Aside from international test kits, the FDA has approved the local kits produced by a team of scientists from the University of the Philippines National Institute of Health, the Philippine Genome Center, and The Manila HealthTek Inc.
