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Friday, March 29, 2024

DOH XI Studies Cost-Efficiency Of Rapid Test Kits Used In Davao Region

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Department of Health XI Assistant Regional Director Dr. Lenny Joy Rivera bared the efforts of the DOH in gathering the utilization and results of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) from the different local government units to know its cost-efficiency.

“Out of the 3,489 tests using RDT in all provinces of Davao Region, only 4 of these tests yielded COVID-19 positive,” this she bared in yesterday’s episode of One Davao on COVID-19 Virtual Presser.

However, Rivera clarified that the information that the DOH XI gathered came only from the Davao Region provinces. The agency is still waiting for the report coming from the Davao City LGU.

The DOH XI requested from the LGUs the data on their RDT stockpile, how many have been utilized, and the result of the tests conducted through the rapid test.

“ Though the data is not yet complete while we still wait for the report from Davao City, but we can initially see from the figures that LGUs had been testing many individuals but yielded only 4 positive cases in the entire region,” Rivera said.

The DOH XI official said this initiative of the DOH is done to know if RDTs are cost-efficient.

The DOH protocol allows for the use of RDTs as long as these are authorized and approved by the Food and Drug Authority (FDA). The DOH still recognizes the RT-PCR as the gold standard for testing COVID-19. While RDTs are being used in localities, the DOH still requires that positive result taken through RDT must be followed with a confirmatory result to be done thru RT-PCR.

“ We would also want to know if those positive results from RT-PCR had gone through an RDT-positive test,” Rivera added.

The DOH XI reported that total reported stockpile of RDTs in Davao Region reaches 20,413 kits. Of this number, only 3,489 RDT kits were utilized in the various Davao Region provinces. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)

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