The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) will complete its investigation report on the Philippine Red Cross (PRC)-Subic chapter’s “false positives” Covid-19 tests by October 8.
In his report during President Rodrigo Duterte’s prerecorded Talk to the People aired Monday night, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said an initial investigation showed all of the 49 total hospital personnel have tested positive in swab tests processed by the PRC’s molecular laboratory in Subic.
“That was released on September 3, 2020,” he said, noting that the results turned “false positives” after the 49 personnel were re-tested in another facility on Sept. 6.
Duque said only five out of 49 have tested positive in the confirmatory test.
He said the RITM’s investigation involved highly technical processes and was done in four phases.
Among the steps are the review of the PRC’s previous laboratory records and its compliance to the testing protocols; review of case investigation reports and verifying relevant clinical/epidemiological information; remote verification of measures and procedures; and the troubleshooting/proficiency test panel to all concerned laboratories.
“By October 8, lalabas po ang resulta ng investigation at aking pong ibabahagi sa inyo (the result of the investigation will be out by October 8 and I will share it to you),” Duque said.
Duterte previously asked the DOH to probe the “false positive” incidents.
Duque immediately responded that the RITM and the DOH have already investigated the matter.
“It is good that there is an independent investigating agency. Well, if there’s nothing wrong, we can accept that. But if there is something wrong then the chairman of the Red Cross has to answer for it,” Duterte said.
Duterte said PRC chairman Senator Richard Gordon “should have done his supervision job properly.”
“In the absence of supervised examinations in your agency at hindi ninyo nagawa iyan (and you did not do that). I think that Gordon has to answer for that also,” he said. (PNA)
