MANILA, Philippines — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to give the green light to a company and hospitals for the manufacture of medical oxygen to ensure its sufficient supply amid the high number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
“With regard to our oxygen supply, fortunately we have not reached the critical point where people are scrambling for oxygen. But just to be sure of the supply, we are now expediting the approval (of) the oxygen plants so that we can manufacture more,” FDA director Eric Domingo told President Duterte during a meeting on Monday night.
Domingo said the FDA will soon grant a license to a big company based in Calamba, Laguna to increase the supply in Luzon.
The FDA was also scheduled to visit the Western Visayas Medical Center yesterday to check its oxygen manufacturing plant.
He said the FDA will also inspect the oxygen plants in two hospitals in Zamboanga del Sur and Basilan.
Domingo said the Jose Rizal Hospital in Dapitan has also built an oxygen plant.
Vaccine facility
Meanwhile, the FDA chief said the Philippines is eyeing to set up a fill-and-finish facility for COVID-19 vaccines next year.
“Our plan by next year is to have at least what we call a fill-and-finish, in which the bulk product will be brought to the Philippines, then we will repackage it into small vials, ampoules or syringes,” Domingo said.
“Then the year after that, we aim to manufacture different kinds of vaccines here,” he added.
Domingo said the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Science and Technology are in talks with several vaccine manufacturers in Cuba, China, Russia and European countries for a possible technology transfer.