GORDON CALLS ON MEDICAL FIRM TO ENSURE INCREASED PRODUCTION OF FACE MASKS

Amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus or 2019-nCOV which has triggered an increased demand for face masks, Senator Richard J. Gordon called on the country's lone manufacturer of medical masks to ensure that they are able to meet the high demand.

Gordon said the MedTecs Group, which produces masks and other personal protective equipment and medical supplies, should augment their machines to meet the demand, pointing out that even China, which can produce 25-million masks a day, is also ordering mask from them. The company produces 80,000 face masks per day.

"Nakiusap na din ako dun sa kumpanya na magpasok na ng mga dagdag na makina para makagawa ng mas maraming masks. Right now 80,000 a day lang production nila," he said.

The chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) also disclosed that he is already working out an arrangement for the said medical firm to supply face masks at a lower cost to frontline agencies in the country, such as the Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs, airports, seaports, hospitals, all PRC chapters and others.

He added that he is also working on having face masks distributed, also at lower prices, to overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, where there are large concentrations of Filipino workers.

"Nagnenegotiate kami na lahat ng frontliner natin sa gobyerno, kung pwede unahin natin yung mga ospital, yung mga nurses, mga doctor, meron tayong supply. Nakikiusap ako (sa MedTecs) kung meron kayong mga extra supplies, bigay niyo sa 'min. Magpapadala tayo sa Hong Kong at sa Macau, sumulat na ko sa Chinese Red Cross, para sa mga Pilipino doon. Inaaral pa namin kung paano ang magiging distribution. Ibebenta ng mura," Gordon said.

"Kung marami pang sobra, sa lahat ng Red Cross chapters sa buong Pilipinas maglagay ng masks at pwedeng bumili ng mura, hindi yung sobrang mahal. At a controlled cost. Kung magagawa iyan, hindi na matatakot masyado ang tao, relax na kayo," he added.

The Department of Health on Thursday announced that the country has its first case of the nCOV infection after confirmatory tests done on a 38-year old Chinese woman from Wuhan City came out positive for nCOV.