The Department of Health (DOH) said that there are over 12,000 testing backlogs in all accredited testing laboratories for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.

“Ang ating backlogs ngayon, medyo lumaki, it’s 12,208 testing backlogs ,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters on Friday.

Vergeire cited different reasons on why the number of unprocessed specimens has accumulated.

“May mga malaking contributors dito tulad ng ibang laboratoryo na kakabukas lang and they got overwhelmed nung dumating ang mga samples sa kanila ,” she said

“Marami kasing samples na dumadating ngayon dahil nag expand na tayo ng protocol ,” she added.

Last month, the DOH expanded its testing coverage guidelines to include more frontliners and other vulnerable individuals who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19.

Vergeire also said that shortage of supplies needed for testing also contributed to the backlog. There are 80 laboratories in the country that are accredited to conduct testing for COVID-19.

To address this, the Health official said that a “zoning” system is now being implemented.

“Kapag nakikita namin na ang isang laboratory ay nagkakaroon na ng problema like backlogs, pwede natin hingin yung tulong ng isang laboratoryo na malapit sa kanya para ma-share nya yung burden of these tests that are being processed ,” said Vergeire.

UP Test kits

In a related development, Vergeire said that the COVID-19 test kits developed by experts from University of the Philippines are scheduled to be rolled-out soon after “minor deficiencies” have already been addressed.

“Meron talaga tayong naging issue--deficiency ng ating locally produced test kits but they were made aware--we worked with them actually-- at naiayos nila yung deficiency na iyon ,” said Vergeire.

“Sa ngayon, nakapag submit na sila ng bago (certification), na validate na uli ng RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine), tinutulungan natin sila ngayon para maumpisahan na natin ang paggamit sa piling laboratoryo dito sa ating bansa ,” she added.

The laboratories are now just awaiting the “final advisory” from the DOH and they “can already use these UP test kits,” said Vergeire.

“May mga kailangan kasing sundin na mga instructions yung mga laboratories before they can use that. They have to undergo training, of course, kasi bagong test kit iyan ,” she said.