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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider COVID-19 testing lab opens in Las Pinas

COVID-19 testing lab opens in Las Pinas

Published Sep 9, 2020 12:18 pm

A laboratory for the processing of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) tests has been opened in Las Piñas City.

Biosafety cabinet specimen receiving/specimen processing area

The COVID-19 testing facility is located in the Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center (LPGH-STC) and is equipped with GeneXpert and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines to process specimens collected from suspected and probable COVID-19 patients.

Senator Cynthia Villar welcomed the development and expressed hope that similar facilities would be set up and accredited in other areas in the Philippines.

Reagent room

"DOH-operated hospitals should have their own testing centers, I hope the Department of Health (DOH) could fast-track their application because we really need to improve our testing and tracing capacity and the accuracy of reporting of cases in this fight against COVID-19,” Villar said in a statement.

Villar said the establishment of the testing laboratory will improve the country’s testing capacity and recovery rate.

She said the RT-PCR machines have already passed the assessment of experts, as well the laboratory personnel who passed the proficiency exam and were found to be competent to handle the GeneXpert technology. Next week, the personnel will undergo proficiency exam in using the RT-PCR testing machine.

RT-PCR machine Automated RNA extraction machine

She acknowledged that the Las Piñas facility needs to go through a multi-stage process of laboratory assessment.

Earlier, the Villar family donated the equipment to the hospital to be able operate its own COVID-9 testing center, such as a donated a laboratory freezer, biological refrigerator, autoclave sterilizer and passbox.

Pass box going to the RT-PCR and Reagent prep rooms

They also provided assistance in ensuring that the renovation or retrofitting of the area assigned as a Covid testing laboratory will conform to the standards approved by the DOH and World Health Organization.

The RT-PCR machine, meanwhile, was donated by San Miguel Foundation to LPGH-STC and will start to operate next week.

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