The Philippine Red Cross Zamboanga City (PRC ZC) Chapter Molecular Laboratory temporarily stopped Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) funded swab test for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Joseline Fernandez, OIC PRC administrator told RPN DXXX Zamboanga, they received the information from their central office Wednesday and immediately halt it Thursday.
This was stopped because the PhilHealth was not able to pay it’s testing fee to the Red Cross
According to Fernandez, majority of those using their PhilHealth for swab test are the healthcare workers and the frontliners included in the category set by PhilHealth.
The Red Cross administrator said, what can be done now is pay in cash or they pay in advance and the PRC will help in the documents so they can reimburse their swab test with PhilHealth.
This will be temporary Fernandez said, time will come they can again use their PhilHealth benefits.
Testing is really important especially when a person has exposure to a Covid patient.
The PRC laboratory is now operational and has two machines for conducting the Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Each machines are automated and can test 2,000 samples per day. Each machine can test 1,000 samples.
However, the testing capacity now is at 90 to 180 specimens a day.
They can collect the swab samples at the area by schedule or right at the laboratory. P4,000 testing fee will be collected for those who are interested. (R.G. Antonet A. Go)
(Source: Interview with Joseline Fernandez, OIC Philippine Red Cross administrator)
