IN its usual “Bilis Kilos” fashion, the city government of Manila became the first local government unit in the country to received on Monday the first batch of Molnupiravir, a game-changing anti-COVID drug which it had ordered months ago.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said 40,000 capsules of Molnupiravir were delivered to the Sta. Ana Hospital in Manila, where there is sufficient storage space for the antiviral drug that is said to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death of COVID patients by 50 percent.

Moreno on Tuesday formally handed several boxes of Molnupiravir to Manila COVID- 19 Field Hospital chief Dr. ARlene Dominguez who praised him for his tireless effort in peotecting the public against the virus. Said drugs were initially given by Moreno to Sta. Ana Hospital director Dr. Grace Padilla for proper storage since the said hospital has a complete facility for it.

“We should always be ahead of COVID infections. We were the first to purchase Remdesivir and Tocilizumab. And now this wonder drug Molnupiravir, tayo din ang naunang bumili. I will continue to listen to science. I always listen to Doc Willie Ong when it comes to anti-covid drugs,” Moreno said in his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of Plaza Yuchengco in Binondo.

Moreno also said that Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna and his runningmate Doc Eillie Ong were the ones who brought to him the idea of pruchasing Molnupiravir.

The Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer said the 40,000 capsules of Molnupiravir will go a long way in saving lives not only of Manila residents but also COVID-19 patients from other cities, municipalities and provinces.

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Itchie G. Cabayan