Red Cross to vaccinate 1 million Pinoys

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) yesterday said it was looking to administer COVID-19 vaccines to about a million Filipinos.

PRC chairman and Sen. Richard Gordon said he had already spoken with the Red Cross staff and doctors about it, adding that the humanitarian organization’s experience could help in the national vaccination program.

“We vaccinate against measles and polio. We were able to do one million (shots) last year, we can do that. That’s what we’ll do. We’ll vaccinate let’s say a million people,” he said in an interview aired over CNN Philippines.

However, Gordon noted that the multimillion-peso debt of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for the PRC’s COVID-19 testing services could stand in the way of the organization’s plans to facilitate vaccination for Filipinos.

“I don’t want to enter that (vaccination program) because PhilHealth’s debt is still large. Until they pay that, we cannot go and commit ourselves again. We can get help from other international Red Cross societies but of course at the back of their heads: ‘You’re asking for help but the debt of your government… you helped them, but they did not pay you P800 (million) for tests… why would you ask us for help?’” he said.

The PRC earlier said it was brokering agreements with international counterparts to secure doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the Philippines.

Gordon also said that the PRC might discontinue testing PhilHealth swab samples if the latter will not pay.

“We will stop (testing) anytime. PhilHealth has become comfortable. They think we are government, we are not. We paid for our testing machines, testing kits and everything that we use,” he pointed out, explaining that the payment is needed for PRC to sustain its operations of COVID-19 bio-molecular laboratories.

He stressed that PRC efforts to expand the laboratories have already been compromised due to PhilHealth’s debt.

“We are not risking our lives for the negligence and mal-administration of PhilHealth. It’s not fair to the people,” Gordon said.

Palace assures payment

Malacañang yesterday assured PRC that PhilHealth would settle its debts that stemmed from the COVID-19 tests chargeable to the state-run insurer.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque explained that PhilHealth follows a process in settling its obligations.

“PhilHealth is not like a private organization. It requires verifications and there are COA (Commission on Audit) rules and regulations that have to be followed because PhilHealth is a government institution,” Roque said at a press briefing.

“But going by the track record of PhilHealth, it incurred debts but it was able to settle them,” he added.

Roque said the President himself has given assurance that all the financial obligations of the health insurer would be paid.

PhilHealth spokesman Rey Balena said in a text message that they are trying their best “but it is also incumbent upon us to be prudent on our payments as we are using members’ funds.”

“We have the Commission on Audit rules to observe and abide by. If there are deficiencies in claims these are returned for compliance,” Balena claimed. – Alexis Romero, Sheila Crisostomo