Project ARK boosts COVID-19 testing capacity with 1 M rapid test kits
Published May 13, 2020 12:00 am
By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
The Project Antibody Rapid Test Kits or Project ARK has raised at least 1 million rapid test kits to boost the number of people that can be screened for COVID-19 in the country.
(Go Negosyo / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion on Wednesday said the first batch of 400,000 test kits will arrive by Sunday, while the remaining 600,000 will arrive in batches the following weeks.
“The private sector is being close to (spending) ₱500 million worth of test kits,” Concepcion said.
“If you see all the countries that have moved up and succeeded, there has to be a greater number of testing. Unfortunately, DOH (Department of Health) is somehow challenged because the testing capability is still to be desired. April 30 was their target for 8,000 per day of testing, while Red Cross is supposed to target 12,000 testing,” he said, noting that the ideal number of swab testing should be 30,000 to 40,000 daily.
Out of the 1 million kits, 885,828 will be used by participating companies to test their employees, while 140,600 will be donated to barangays.
So far, Project ARK has partnered with the local government units of Manila, Antipolo City, Quezon City, Makati City, Pasig City, and Batangas.
Concepcion pointed out that the private sector's initiative to fund its own rapid test kits complement the COVID-19 screenings conducted in hospitals.
In line with this, Project ARK is bringing real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines and automatic extraction equipment to six government hospitals to increase their testing capacity.
“With the (help of) former Health Secretary Janette Garin we will be able to fast track these in the next 45 days, and bring these equipment in and install them, and add about another 7,000 on the daily capacity that will definitely help increase the total capacity of the Philippines in terms of RT-PCR or swab testing,” Concepcion explained.
The six chosen government hospitals are the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium, Quirino Memorial Medical Center; Central Visayas Tbrl Molecular Lab for COVID-19 Chd 7, Zamboanga City Medical Center; and Perpetual Hospital Las Piñas (University of Perpetual Help Dalta Medical Center, Inc.).
“Our goal here is to bring testing to everybody,” Concepcion said.
He emphasized that in order for the economy to safely reopen and restart, mass testing must be done. “We are at war with an invisible enemy. That is why the key is visibility. We have to test, test, test! Mass testing is the key to reopening our economy and reinstating public confidence.”
Project ARK is an initiative led by Concepcion that bands together the biggest economic players and business conglomerates in the country, aiming to ramp up mass testing in order to safely revive the economy.
With the data collected from the massive testing of Project ARK, the government, and different industries can gain a better visibility of the pandemic and formulate better strategies to combat the virus.
Barangay implementation is part of Project ARK’s bayanihan initiative. In addition to encouraging the screening of employees to ensure safety at work, Project ARK supports companies to lead the voluntary testing of barangay citizens.
(Go Negosyo / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion on Wednesday said the first batch of 400,000 test kits will arrive by Sunday, while the remaining 600,000 will arrive in batches the following weeks.
“The private sector is being close to (spending) ₱500 million worth of test kits,” Concepcion said.
“If you see all the countries that have moved up and succeeded, there has to be a greater number of testing. Unfortunately, DOH (Department of Health) is somehow challenged because the testing capability is still to be desired. April 30 was their target for 8,000 per day of testing, while Red Cross is supposed to target 12,000 testing,” he said, noting that the ideal number of swab testing should be 30,000 to 40,000 daily.
Out of the 1 million kits, 885,828 will be used by participating companies to test their employees, while 140,600 will be donated to barangays.
So far, Project ARK has partnered with the local government units of Manila, Antipolo City, Quezon City, Makati City, Pasig City, and Batangas.
Concepcion pointed out that the private sector's initiative to fund its own rapid test kits complement the COVID-19 screenings conducted in hospitals.
In line with this, Project ARK is bringing real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines and automatic extraction equipment to six government hospitals to increase their testing capacity.
“With the (help of) former Health Secretary Janette Garin we will be able to fast track these in the next 45 days, and bring these equipment in and install them, and add about another 7,000 on the daily capacity that will definitely help increase the total capacity of the Philippines in terms of RT-PCR or swab testing,” Concepcion explained.
The six chosen government hospitals are the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium, Quirino Memorial Medical Center; Central Visayas Tbrl Molecular Lab for COVID-19 Chd 7, Zamboanga City Medical Center; and Perpetual Hospital Las Piñas (University of Perpetual Help Dalta Medical Center, Inc.).
“Our goal here is to bring testing to everybody,” Concepcion said.
He emphasized that in order for the economy to safely reopen and restart, mass testing must be done. “We are at war with an invisible enemy. That is why the key is visibility. We have to test, test, test! Mass testing is the key to reopening our economy and reinstating public confidence.”
Project ARK is an initiative led by Concepcion that bands together the biggest economic players and business conglomerates in the country, aiming to ramp up mass testing in order to safely revive the economy.
With the data collected from the massive testing of Project ARK, the government, and different industries can gain a better visibility of the pandemic and formulate better strategies to combat the virus.
Barangay implementation is part of Project ARK’s bayanihan initiative. In addition to encouraging the screening of employees to ensure safety at work, Project ARK supports companies to lead the voluntary testing of barangay citizens.