Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) to accelerate the procurement of antigen test kits (ATKs) amid rising coronavirus infections.
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has meanwhile been urged to distribute the kits to risk groups as soon as possible.
According to the health minister, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now allows the importation of ATKs from over 100 companies provided the delivered batches pass quality checks currently in place.
When asked how he would coordinate with the Ministry of Commerce to control the price of ATKs, Minister Anutin said prices would depend on market mechanisms. He also noted that the GPO has considerable purchasing power and prices have been steadily getting more affordable.
The minister added that given the rising demand for ATKs, he will instruct the GPO to sell the kits at cost for the benefit of the people. As an example, he said that if a kit was purchased for 30 baht, it should also be sold for 30 baht. (NNT)
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