The government has ordered 200,000 pieces of high flow nasal cannula equipment for severe and critical patients due to coronavirus disease, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a virtual press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the use of nasal equipment is more effective than ventilators.

"We know that there is a machine, the high pressure nasal equipment which is reportedly better than the ventilators because this gives oxygen to the patients...we have ordered 200,000 of these machines because it is proven worldwide that these are life-saving machines," he said.

Roque failed to give the amount used to buy the equipment.

But he said President Rodrigo Duterte assured that he would look for funds if necessary.

He said the nasal equipment is cheaper compared to a ventilator.

"So we will look for the fund and the President said we should have more machines of that kind so that we can help those critical patients due to COVID," Roque added. Celerina Monte/DMS