Año wants standard price for swab tests

October 2, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año is pushing for  standard price for the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or swab test for COVID-19 so more people can avail of it.

Based on a recent survey of public and private hospitals, the cost of RT-PCR tests ranged from P4, 000 to P13, 000.

“Everyone should be given the chance to have a swab test by standardizing its price both in private and government hospitals,” Año said on Friday.

“That's one of the best options to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus,” he added.

Año said the RT-PCR is the gold standard for COVID-19 testing and while there are cheaper rapid tests in the market, these tests are said to be inconclusive.

Año said instead of taking the test, most Filipinos would rather spend their money to buy food and other necessities and follow the minimum health protocols to prevent being infected with COVID-19.

He supported the call of House Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero for the Department of Health (DOH) to address public complaints regarding different prices of swab tests.

The Philippine Red Cross is the lowest at P3,500 while nine private and government hospitals in Metro Manila charge individuals RT-PCR test fees ranging from P3,500 to P8,150.

In August, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through Joint Memorandum Circular 20-04 urged employers of private companies to get their workers tested and shoulder the cost of the swab test.

Año also supported Romero’s call for hospitals to provide free regular swab tests to their health workers who cannot afford them.

"Our health workers are among our frontliners who are making a big sacrifice by caring for COVID patients and preventing people from contracting the virus," Año  said.

"We should make sure that the number of our health workers would increase, not diminish by regularly subjecting them to swab tests," he added.  Ella Dionisio/DMS