DAVAO CITY, May 14 (PIA) (Updated) - The National Task Force against COVID-19 Chief Implementer and Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. led the inspection of the delivery of the 200,000 personal protective equipment (PPEs) onboard a Navy vessel and intended for government hospitals in Mindanao that have COVID-19 patients.
Galvez led the inspection on May 9 at the Sasa Wharf, making Davao City as strategic location point for the distribution of PPEs in Mindanao.
He said places like the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, General Santos, and regions IX, X, XI, XII and XIII will receive the PPE sets intended up to the month of May.
“May paparating pa na another batch of PPEs from a navy ship. Mabilis naman ang procurement, salamat kay Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado. Ang mahirap lang ang maghanap ng supply dahil halos lahat ay kailangan nito. May supplier tayo from China,” Galvez said.
In a recent statement issued by Secretary Galvez, he clarified that “a P20-billion is for the purchase of the 11 million complete PPE sets. The 3 million PPEs is part of the first tranche of the 11 million PPEs worth P20 billion to be purchased by the Philippine Government.”
“ The 3 million are being stockpiled for the months of June up to August this year. The other remaining PPEs to be purchased under the Php20 billion budget is part of the government’s effort to stockpile PPEs and other essential medical supplies and equipment until 2021.”
“ These PPEs are of Level 4 quality. They include a medical-grade PPE suit, military-grade goggles, a face mask, and shoe and head covers which are designed to provide full protection to our medical frontliners.”
Galvez said the procurement of these 3 million PPEs is already in the pipeline under the program of the Department of Health through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management.
“ As we know, there is a shortage of PPEs in the global market. And common sense dictates that it is simply impossible and too risky to source out 11 million PPEs worth PhP 20-billion from a single supplier on a single transaction. These PPEs will be sourced through a combination of purchases – both from international manufacturers and local producers”, he said.
Galvez stressed, “ we would like to assure the Filipino people that the purchase of these PPEs and medical supplies had undergone a very rigid procurement process with the assurance that we will provide the highest medical standard as we emphasized in our National Action Plan on COVID-19 that one of the imperatives are the protection and preservation of our healthcare workers and frontliners.
“As President Rodrigo Duterte has time and again emphasized, he will not tolerate any anomalous transactions in government. We, in the NTF, will make sure that the President’s directives are fully implemented as we continue to fight this disease”, said Galvez. (PIA XI)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
0 Comments