Large Labs Conduct More COVID-19 Testing Amid Red Cross Suspension Over Unpaid PhilHealth Dues

MANILA— The government has diverted the swab test sample destined for the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to major laboratories in and around Metro Manila after the organization stopped PhilHealth-covered COVID-19 testing on debt from the state health insurer amounting to about P1 billion.

At a press conference on Saturday, Undersecretary of Health Maria Rosario Vergeire said the sample had already been “diverted” to hospitals such as the Philippine Pulmonary Center to prevent testing from being stopped.

“This is a temporary measure so that we can complete and continue and receive samples on an ongoing basis for Hindi ma-hinder ang operations (so that operations are not hindered),” said Vergeire.

Citing pending quotas, the People’s Republic of China announced earlier this week that it would halt COVID-19 testing that would supposedly be funded by PhilHealth for Filipino workers returning abroad, arrivals at ports and airports, those found in mega swab facilities and those included in the expansion of the Department of Health. test guidelines.

“As the People’s Republic of China continues to face challenges with PhilHealth due to its inability to pay off its growing outstanding balance … we are obligated to stop testing by PhilHealth as of today,” it said in a statement.

PRC conducted more than 1 million coronavirus tests, or roughly a quarter of the Philippines’ 3.8 million tests so far.

Vergeire said PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran and other officials have sat down with PRC, saying they are fixing vital data to pay off outstanding debt.

“It is currently being resolved. We are processing the data so that we can have a final resolution on this issue. The Philippine Red Cross is working together to fix it because we still need data to compile so that we can provide what we need [payments]”Vergeire said.

(We are fixing the data so that we can have a final resolution on this problem. The Philippine Red Cross is cooperating to solve this problem because there is data needed so that we can provide the necessary payments).