Health Undersecretary Rosette Vergeire. Screengrab from RTVM video.
MANILA, Philippines — About 1,300 test kits for the coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) developed by the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health (UP-NIH) will be distributed to six hospitals in the country within the week.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said these kits can make about 26,000 tests all in all.
“Tuluy tuloy ang distribution ng ating mga UP-NIH test kits (The distribution of test kits is continually being done),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual press briefing.
The following hospitals will receive the locally-made test kits:
Philippine General Hospital in Manila City
Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio City
Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City
Makati Medical Center in Makati City
The Medical City in Pasig City
The test kits were made by local scientists in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Vergeire said.
The test kits cost about P1,250 which is cheaper than the test kits bought internationally which cost about P6,000 on average. It can also give results after two to three hours.
It was only this April that the Food and Drug Authority gave the go-signal for the test kits to be used for commercial use. It was approved last March 10, but only for field testing.