PH virus testing capacity to drop until PhilHealth settles Red Cross debt — Dizon

CUTTING COSTS A Red Cross worker takes a swab sample of a patient at the Philippine Red Cross laboratory in Mandaluyong City in April. —INQUIRER PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s capacity to perform coronavirus disease (COVID-19) tests is expected to drop in the next few days until the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) settles its debt owed to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

National Action Plan Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Sec. Vince Dizon said Friday that the PRC has a significant contribution to the country’s COVID-19 testing system.

PRC stopped conducting free COVID-19 tests to returning overseas workers, medical and government workers, local government mega swabbing facilities after Philhealth failed to pay its outstanding balance of P930 million.

Dizon said he was confident that the matter would be settled in a matter of days. But in the meantime, government laboratories will receive the specimens of those included in the Department of Health’s expanded testing protocol.

“It’s an admin issue. We’re trying to fix that in the next few days,” he said in a press briefing.

“In terms of tests per day, we’re looking at maybe 10 to 15,000 per day [which will be affected]….Napakalaking bagay ang paghinto ng Red Cross. Asahan natin bababa ang testing output sa ilang araw na hindi ma-address yung issue sa Philhealth,” he added.

Philheath said Friday it will settle its debt owed to the PRC.

/MUF