Contamination not found in 48 COVID testing by Red Cross – RITM

MANILA, Philippines — The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) found no evidence of contamination in the 48 COVID-19 tests processed at the PRC’s Subic laboratory, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said on Monday.

In September, RITM investigated the said tests after the Sagip Representative Rodante Marcoleta alleged that 44 of the tests conducted at the Subic Baypointe Hospital and tested at the PRC Molecular Laboratory in Subic resulted in “false positives.”

READ: Solons shift pandemic supplies probe to Red Cross ‘wrong’ COVID tests

However, the results of the RITM investigation on Oct. 13 showed “no evidence of contamination for the 48 cases tested by PRC Subic laboratory” and that the results were “found to be valid and reliable.”

This whole issue arose during the Senate inquiry into the alleged misuse of pandemic funds led by the Chairman and CEO of the PRC, Senator Richard Gordon.

The PRC said that “it has found itself a victim of unsubstantiated allegations in recent months.”

“This is due to damning evidence against involved parties in the awarding of more than Php8.7 billion in contracts for overpriced medical supplies to an undercapitalized company under the Bayanihan to Heal Act,” it added.

President Rodrigo Duterte himself brought up the allegations repeatedly while the inquiry was underway during his tirades against the senators.

READ: Probe alleged ‘false positive’ COVID-19 test results from PRC, Duterte tells DOH

October 18 — RITM Validates Philippine Red Cross Subic Laboratory Results pic.twitter.com/OkVduKWsHq

— Philippine Red Cross (@philredcross) October 18, 2021

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