PH RED CROSS ACQUIRES MORE TESTING MACHINES TO HELP ADDRESS COVID-19

More Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing machines, kits and reagents were acquired by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in response to the virus that already afflicted 6,599 Filipinos with 437 deaths as of April 21.

According to Senator Richard J. Gordon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PRC, the organization will be chartering a Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane or a C-130 aircraft to transport the critical materials from Changsha City in China.

"We are bringing in six more RNA extraction machines, 20 PCRs, and thousands of testing kits, swabs, and reagents for the additional PRC molecular labs all over the country. This is the third flight that the Red Cross will be chartering in response to COVID-19 and the first time via C-130 through National Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin, Jr. A pleasure to be working with these reliable and dedicated gentlemen," said Gordon.

Gordon added that the Red Cross will likewise try to bring a Filipina cancer patient on board the chartered plane. The patient needs to undergo a unique targeted chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment in Beijing, China.

"Pray that we can make this possible for our kababayan," he said.