MANILA, Philippines — The Manila city government has purchased 500 additional vials of Tocilizumab for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Mayor Isko Moreno and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna inspected the vials of Tocilizumab, which arrived on Tuesday.
Clinical studies showed that Tocilizumab reduces mortality and intubation among COVID-19 patients, especially severe cases.
Moreno said the drugs would be given free to patients confined in public and private hospitals, whether residents or non-residents of Manila.
“We will distribute Tocilizumab to six district hospitals in the city and the Manila Health Department,” Moreno said.
Manila city general services officer Thelma Perez said the additional vials of Tocilizumab were procured by the local government to strengthen its response against the pandemic.
Perez said the city government has allotted P13 million for the procurement of Tocilizumab.