The Department of Health (DoH) on Friday said all personal protective equipment (PPE) that were distributed to healthcare workers in government hospitals underwent the proper quality and safety standards.
At a press briefing, Health Officer-In-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire was asked if the Health department was the beneficiary of PPE purchased by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management-(PS-DBM). Earlier, the Commission on Audit (CoA) had flagged PPE procurements by the PS-DBM amounting to P1.386 billion because the equipment allegedly lacked safety certifications.
In its 2021 audit report, state auditors said the supplier of the PPE procured by PS-DBM did not submit the necessary Certificate of Medical Device Notification (CMDN). The CMDN is a certificate issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that guarantees the safety and quality of products released for public use or consumption.
Vergeire assured the public that all PPE distributed to healthcare workers such as N95 medical masks, surgical masks, head covers, gloves, shoe covers and gowns had undergone quality and safety evaluations.
“We will not give protective equipment that did not undergo quality and safety standards. We never distributed PPE that did not pass our standards,” stressed Vergeire.
“Before we accept any deliverables for the agency, they have to pass through this process to ensure their safety and quality. Last year, batches of PPE were delivered to the DoH. We did our inspection. We did not accept the items that did not pass our standards,” she added.