Bacolod council seeks purchase of ’emergency’ medicines vs COVID-19

BACOLOD CITY––The city council has called on top government officials to buy emergency medicines for severe and critical cases of COVID-19.

The council approved last week a resolution to buy Remdesivir and Tocilizumab to help patients ill with COVID-19.

Councilor Renecito Novero for the City Health Office and the Mayor’s Office authored the resolution.

“Remdesivir and Tocilizumab are the medicines usually prescribed, but they are often unavailable when needed,” Novero said.

“Their prices are also too high, hence low-income patients could not afford it. There is, therefore, a necessity for the city to have preemptive purchases of these medicines for the protection of Bacolod City residents who might urgently need them,” he added.

Investigational drugs are often used to manage persons infected with the virus.

The cost of a 400mg/20 ml vial of Tocilizumab rose to P130,000 in August from P75,000 in July, while Remdesivir (100ms/20ml) also increased to P6,000 in August from P4,000 in July.

Vax cards

Meanwhile, Em Ang, executive director of the Emergency Operations Center, said Bacolod had COVID-19 Vaccination QR (Quick Response) identification cards for fully vaccinated residents.

“The system has not been launched officially, but it is operational,” she said.

Bacolod will use the Department of Information and Communications Technology system because the World Health Organization approved and recognized it even for travels abroad.

Ang said the Bacolod Management Information Technology and Computer Services would generate the “BACuna Card,” which is being tested and could be used by travelers.

As of Oct. 27, Bacolod had 1,617 active COVID-19 cases.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, the city has logged 22,898 infections, with 20,710 recoveries and 568 deaths.

Of its 422,000 target adult vaccination recipients, the city government has fully vaccinated 169,965 persons.

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