SRP for RT-PCR test set

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - Individuals and companies who wanted to be ch eck ed for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) using Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Reaction (RT-PCR) need not to worry about overpricing as price range for said testing has now been set.

The Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently signed joint administrative order for setting the price range for RT-PCR testing to prevent abuse in pricing.

According to Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque, setting of price range will promote quality, equitable access, and affordability to COVID-19 testing.

“With this Joint

Administrative Order, the government seeks to strike a balance of equity, access, and consumer’s choice. In determining the price ranges, we strived to ensure that they are just, equitable, and sensitive to all stakeholders,” Sec. Duque said.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, for his part, stressed the importance of regulating the testing prices as the country resumes economic activity.

“We have been seeing signs of recovery. And with the increased testing capacity of our country, the demand for testing has also increased. This policy is an opportunity for the government to regulate the prices of testing to make it more affordable and accessible to all Filipinos,”

he said.

Under JAO, public and private licensed COVID-19 testing laboratories were surveyed to determine the price range.

Factors such as geographic location, ownership, brand, type of test and extraction machine, facility set-up, and turnaround time were also considered.

The JAO also underwent a series of consultations and negotiations, stakeholder reviews, and technical deliberation before coming up with the said guidel i n es.

Moreover, upon effectivity of the JAO, prices will be made transparent and readily available for the public to access and will be subject to monthly monitoring to ensure that it remains fair amidst current developments.