Full delivery expected not later than April 24

MANILA (UPDATE) — The Philippine health department said Wednesday that 15,000 of the 1 million personal protective equipment (PPE) sets it procured for the country's health workers in light of the new coronavirus outbreak have arrived.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the first batch of PPEs were received Tuesday night and were sent to the warehouse of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), which is tasked for its distribution.

Each set, which costs P1,800, includes 8 types of PPEs — an N95 mask, goggles, coveralls, head cover, shoe cover, surgical mask, gloves, and surgical gown.

“Kadalasan, ang mga dumarating sa ating ospital ay hindi kumpleto, tingi-tingi o kaya hindi na rin magamit,” Vergeire said.

(Often, the PPEs donated to hospitals are incomplete or cannot be used.)

She said the initial 15,000 sets will be distributed to the following hospitals: East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC), San Lazaro Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (AFPMC).

I wish to inform everyone that the first batch of PPE arrived last night. Thank you to the Philippine Air Force for ensuring the delivery of these much needed PPE. #BeatCOVID19 #WeHealAsOne #COVID19PH pic.twitter.com/V8CLfEM4IJ

— Secretary Francisco T. Duque III (@SecDuque) April 1, 2020

The Department of Health (DOH) said the remaining 985,000 sets are scheduled to arrive between April 6 to 24.

The purchase of 1 million PPEs, worth P1.8 billion, went through the procurement process of the Department of Budget and Management.

Vergeire said said the DOH continues to distribute PPEs to public and private health facilities.

“Yesterday, deliveries were made to 22 recipients including Regions II, IV-A, VII, X, XI, XII and CARAGA,” she said.

She thanked government personnel and partners who assisted in the delivery of the PPEs to different parts of the country.

The DOH has instructed health facilities to send their requests for PPEs to covid19logistics@gmail.com.

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, several hospitals have asked for donations of PPEs. Some have had difficulty purchasing the PPEs because of the global shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 2,311 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. Of that number, 50 have recovered and 96 have died.