MANILA – The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) has urged the government to explore sustainable approaches to help health care companies in the country in their operations amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ECCP said pharmaceutical and medical devices companies play a vital role in helping the government address the health crisis.
It recommends providing these firms with real data and forecasts on products demand to meet the country’s needs for the coming months.
The business group proposed the implementation of procurement guidelines to expedite purchasing and acquiring diagnostics and medicines used for Covid-19 treatment.
It also called on the government to support research-based pharmaceutical and medical devices firms.
“We call for the implementation of mechanisms that help drive the growth of the health care industry in the Philippines, among which policies that support and incentivize innovation, as well as encourage public-private partnership,” it added.
The group likewise asked the government to repeal Executive Order 104, which took effect on June 2.
The EO reduced the prices of drugs and medicines up to 50 percent while putting a price ceiling on 133 drug formulas to help Filipinos access cheaper drugs and medicines.
It encouraged the government to consider increasing the health budget and medicines subsidies, expanding pooled procurement and multi-year contracts to increase the volume of health care products, and institutionalizing price negotiation based on the sound review of medicine prices and economic viability of reduced prices of pharmaceutical products.
The ECCP said the price freeze on medicines identified under EO 104 could be implemented under a declaration of public health emergency.
Effective implementation of such policies will build the country’s resilience amid the health crisis, it added. (PNA)
