N95 masks at P400 each? Surgical masks, which used to cost P30 per box, are now selling for P1,500 per box.
This is the shocking price of masks these days, which the Province of Negros Oriental is thinking of buying.
Dr. Liland Estacion, assistant provincial health officer and incident commander of the CoViD-19 Task Force of Negros Oriental, admitted that these prices have soared due to the law of supply and demand.
In a caucus with the Provincial Board Friday, Estacion said she has even stopped buying surgical masks because these are needed more by doctors and hospital staff.
Board Member Chester Lim said the doctor should report this matter to the Department of Trade &Industry, to which Estacion said she already did.
The Province has allotted P4,480,000 to buy the N95 masks to be given to the frontliners in the fight against CoViD-19.
Estacion appealed to the Board Members to inform her if they know of a cheaper source.
“I have given Personal Protective Equipment to all [government] hospitals. I also gave to SUMC and to Ace [Dumaguete Doctors Hospital]. We also gave alcohol, gloves, and soap with disinfectants. Many other needed supplies have not yet arrived.”
The PPEs are expected to last for two to three months.
During that caucus, Board Member Estanislao Alviola, a dealer of medicine and pharmaceutical products, advised Dr. Estacion not to include ascorbic acid in the emergency purchase of vitamins.
The Province had budgeted P11,665,500 to buy ascorbic acid 500 mg., which Alviola says is not immediately needed. “Vitamin C improves one’s immunity against CoViD-19 but this will take time to build up your immune system,” he said.
Alviola instead suggested that the budget instead be transferred to the purchase of food packs, which will be funded by another budget.
The caucus of the Provincial Board was convened before they formally met to pass an ordinance granting an additional P50 million to the Province of Negros Oriental in the campaign to fight the CoViD-19.