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COVID-19 lab at Davao airport ready for RT-PCR tests next week

Philippines | Luzon

COVID-19 lab at Davao airport ready for RT-PCR tests next week

By Zea Capistrano

DAVAO CITY - The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing machine for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport here will be ready to operate next week, a health official said on Tuesday.

City Government of Davao/ MANILA BULLETIN

In a statement, Davao City Health Officer Dr. Josephine Villafuerte said they have already inspected the equipment and the testing lab on Tuesday after it was turned over to them by Unilab.

“Gi turnover na ang equipment ug katong building gahapon, so gipa check na sa amoa, naa na man ang equipment tanan (The equipment and building were already handed over to us, so we were asked to check them. All the equipment are ready),” Villafuerte said.

Villafuerte inspected the facility together with Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) officer-in-charge, Dr. Ric Audan, City Tourism Officer-in-Charge Regina Rosa Tecson, City Engineer’s Office Officer-in-Charge Atty. Joseph Dominic Felizarta, and eight medical technologists from SPMC who were deployed for onsite training.

Villafuerte said the machine can examine "about 92 specimens per run.”

The City Government said all air travel passengers coming into the city will be prioritized, and tested for free in the testing laboratory.

The city currently has two testing laboratories, one at SPMC and the other one at the privately-owned Davao One World. The laboratory at the Los Amigos Health Center, a government-owned testing center, is still under construction.

Meanwhile, Davao Doctor’s Hospital has also submitted to the Department of Health (DOG) its requirements for the accreditation of its own testing center.

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