By Martin Sadongdong
Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Action Plan (NAP) on coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inspected a newly built laboratory in Laguna on Saturday as he expressed appreciation to the private sector for its contributions to increase the national government's testing capacity.
(National Task Force against COVID-19 / MANILA BULLETIN)
Galvez was accompanied by NAP deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon when they visited the automated reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) laboratory inside the compound of the Qualimed Hospital in Santa Rosa City.
According to Galvez, the facility was certified a "biosafety level 2 laboratory" which means it is suitable for work involving agents of moderate potential hazard to personnel and environment.
The facility was constructed through a forged partnership between Qualimed Hospital and Ayala Group of Companies' Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AC Health) last April 20.
"The biosafety level 2 laboratory has capacity to test at least 1,000 individuals per day," Galvez said.
The facility is one of the seven biosafety level 2 laboratories that AC Health and its partners have been constructing in key cities nationwide.
Upon completion, all laboratories have a combined testing capacity of at least 5,500 tests per day, Galvez said.
Also present during the inspection were brothers Jaime Agusto and Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Corporation's Chairman and President respectively; and other officials of the Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc.
Galvez expressed appreciation to the Ayala Corporation for their support to the national government's efforts to beat COVID-19.
As of May 28, the government has a capacity of 8,500 to 9,500 tests per day, according to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
Dizon, who is also the COVID-19 testing czar, earlier set a goal of having 30,000 tests on average by the end of May.