UMAPELA si AnaKalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor sa Department of Health na magsagawa ng komprehensibong pagsusuri sa bibilhin nitong COVID-19 testing kit dahil mayroon umanong brand na masyadong mataas ang ibinibigay na maling resulta.
“The DoH should discourage if not stop altogether the use of unreliable COVID-19 tests that produce high rates of false-negative results,” ani Defensor, chairman ng House committee on Public Accounts.
“We’ve gathered that there are some brands of COVID-19 tests that return up to 20 percent false-negative results, which is unacceptable. Falsely reassured patients can contribute to the spread of the disease without them knowing it.”
Sinabi ni Defensor na limitado ang budget ng gobyerno kaya dapat sa tapang pagkakagastusan ito ilagay ng DoH.
“We are investing P1.9 billion in COVID-19 screening, and the DOH should see to it that the money is spent only on the most dependable tests.”
Bukod sa pagsasayang ng pondo ay maaaring nasasayang din ng oras ng DOH at authorized testing laboratories nito kung uulitin din ang libu-libong COVID-19 test dahil sa malaking bilang ng false-negative result ng mabibiling rapid testing kits.
Ipinalabas ng Department of Budget and Management ang P1.9 bilyon sa DOH para sa pagbili ng Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) detection kits para sa 918,000 tests.
Nauna nang nagbabala ang US Food Drug Administration sa paggamit ng mga hindi reliable na test kits.
“We are counting on the DOH to track closely the accuracy of all brands of COVID-19 tests – regardless of their country of origin – so that we may be properly guided as to which of them offer the best value for money for long-term use in the country,” dagdag pa ng solon.