The intention to make testing accessible by setting a ceiling price by the government to sell the test kit is welcomed, as it is better than doing nothing. However, RM19.90 is still a high price to pay when you are a low income family and especially when you are in a large family.
There is an alternative. A better method to make test kits accessible to the masses.
The government should bulk buy millions of test kits for the public at large. With each order in the millions, we can definitely get the best price possible from the manufacturers, even possibly below RM10 per test kit.
The government can then in turn distribute the test kits for free (as the NHS in UK has done) or even sell it to the public at RM10 or below, to encourage the public to regularly test and help us identify and isolate positive cases as soon as possible to curb the spread of Covid-19. The pharmacies also don’t have to lose out in terms of profit because the government can choose to distribute/sell this test kits via pharmacies instead of creating a separate machinery.
The government should do an open tender for these purchases. Ordering in millions will also mean many manufacturers would jump at this opportunity to participate and this competition will drive the price down.
I have already been doing what I can for the residents in my constituency by subsidizing the test kits at RM10 for the B40 segment. However, my purchasing power is lower and I have to pay a higher subsidy sum to make this happen. With the ability of the government to purchase in millions, the subsidy will be much smaller to achieve the goal of RM10 test kits, or even possibly no subsidy will be required.
Even those who are vaccinated are now vulnerable to being infected and infecting others. Testing and isolating is the only way forward to curb the further spread of this disease. These lower prices will also help small businesses and individuals to test at least weekly as a part of adapting to the new normal. This way, the government can do it sustainably without increasing government spending.
I strongly encourage the government to be aware of its purchasing power and use it to the advantage of the people. When testing is the only way forward, it is important to make it accessible to all segments of the population. Moving forward, let us make testing regularly a norm.