Poe questions DOH's P1.8B PPE purchase

Senator Grace Poe questioned the Department of Health's (DOH) P1.8 billion purchase of one million sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the P1,800 cost per set being significantly higher than the market price.

Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire explained that the DOH's PPE sets were the most complete, containing eight types of protective gear to justify the higher cost.

These comprehensive sets included items such as N95 masks, coveralls, gloves, head covers, shoe covers, goggles, surgical masks, and surgical gowns.

Vergeire also stated that the procurement underwent the necessary process with the Department of Budget and Management's procurement service.

She further clarified that different hospital facilities require different types of PPE, which can affect the cost.

The first batch of approximately 200,000 PPE sets is expected to arrive between April 1 to 6, with the remaining 700,000 sets arriving between April 6 to 24.

Poe had previously suggested that opting for cheaper PPE sets could have saved the government between P800 million and P1 billion and urged judicious use of funds and prioritization of local manufacturers.