Need to get a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test but your budget is tight? Fret not because the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City is offering it for only PHP391 (US$8.14).
The government-owned hospital announced its rate in a Facebook post that appeared yesterday, adding that the price is only for members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. Non-members can get a test for PHP3,800 (US$79), which is still cheaper than the rate offered in private hospitals.
Read: Quezon City resident infected with B117 tests negative for COVID in new swab test
Tests are taken from Monday to Sunday from 6am to 10am at the hospital’s Executive Parking Area. Walk-in patients are welcome, and results will be released a day after the swab test was taken.
The Duterte government has set a price range for swab tests, after some private hospitals had charged as much as PHP8,000 (US$166.50) for each. Now, private hospitals and labs can only charge PHP4,500 (US$94) to PHP5,000 (US$104) for each RT-PCR while government institutions can charge up to PHP3,800 (US$79).
The RT-PCR remains the gold standard in COVID-19 testing, although the Philippine Red Cross has started using a saliva-based test, which is said to be cheaper and less intrusive.
Reader Interactions