Health offices running out of drug test kits

THIS scene, in a police station in Manila, has become familiar nationwide. Health centers are running out of drug testing kits as drug tests have become mandatory in government offices and a tool of survival for those who don’t want to be put on a death list of suspects. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Overwhelming numbers of people submitting themselves to drug tests have drained the supply of kits that are being used to determine if someone uses drugs or not in this city.

Dr. Rodelin Agbulos, city health officer, said the queue of those who were being subjected to the tests was growing every day.

The tests have become mandatory in government offices, but the health office in the city administers the tests also to residents who want to take these in a frenzy of efforts to ward off suspicions of drug use that could turn deadly.

The number of people taking the tests had gone up as a result of the heightened war on drugs launched by the Duterte administration.

“We didn’t expect this rise in the number of people (submitting themselves) to drug testing,” said Agbulos.

“We are running short of drug testing kits,” he said. He added that it would take time, though, for the city health office to replenish its supply of drug testing kits because the purchase of these items would have to go through public bidding.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar said the city government had turned over to the city health office at least 1,300 drug testing kits for the police force alone.

Supt. Luisito Magnaye, the city police chief, said his office did not have the money for the drug testing of its 1,300 officers and men.

He said “it’s good that the city health office provided us these kits.” The number of kits given to the police force, he said, is enough for all the city’s officers and men.

The city government is also funding the drug testing of some 5,000 people suspected of being users or pushers and have surrendered to the police.

Salazar also urged the villages to use their internal revenue allotments to fund the drug testing of people in their communities.

The drug testing kit being used by the Department of Health here closely resembles pregnancy test kits and were designed to detect the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (from use of marijuana) and metamphetamine (from use of “shabu” and related drugs), among others, in the urine.

The kits costs between P60-P90 each, said Agbulos.

When all three colored bands appear on the testing stick, it meant that the subject is positive of drug use.

If there are only two lines present, the result would be treated as “doubtful” and a second test is needed.

Agbulos said the DOH charges P150 for the testing. The city government had paid for the cost of the drug testing.  Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao