(Photo courtesy of OCD)
MANILA – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said that it has already distributed 97,000 rapid antigen kits it has procured to 45 hospitals, local government units, and agencies in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
These provinces are Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal and distribution figures are as of April 14, OCD spokesperson Mark Cashean Timbal said in a statement Thursday.
Resolution No. 108 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) authorized the OCD to utilize its quick response fund to procure the said test kits.
“The Office of the Civil Defense is hereby authorized to procure using their Quick Response Fund under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management or such other available funds, an initial five hundred thousand (500,000) pieces of any of the following Rapid Antigen Test Kits authorized by the Food and Drug Administration," the resolution added.
The procured Abbott Panbio Covid-19 Ag rapid antigen test devices, which were delivered in two batches, are stored in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
The purchase of these antigen kits seeks to “ensure the swift detection of cases and tracing of close contacts,” the resolution read.
Timbal said training on the use of the test kits was also conducted last April 14 via the Zoom platform for health care personnel who will be tasked to administer the tests in the recipient local government units and hospitals.
The OCD also continues to carry its other functions in Covid-19 response operations which include logistical support to Covid-19 facilities nationwide and management of donations. (PNA)
