The 14th molecular laboratory of Philippine Red Cross (PRC) located in Maguindanao officially begins its operations on Friday, Nov. 12.
This after the PRC Cotabato City-Maguindanao molecular laboratory received its License to Operate from the Department of Health (DOH) on Nov. 11.
The molecular lab passed its efficiency test set by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) last October.
“Layunin ng Philippine Red Cross na mas marami pa ang ating ma-test upang maiwasan natin ang hawaan ng COVID-19 (The Philippine Red Cross aims to test more so that we can prevent the COVID-19 infection),” said PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dick Gordon.
“Sa ngayon ay 200 test per day lamang ang capacity ng Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, at sa pamamagitan ng bagong molecular laboratory ay mas mapapabilis natin at mapapalakas ang COVID-19 response sa mga lugar na nasasakupan nito (Currently, the capacity of the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center is only 200 tests per day, and with the new molecular laboratory we will be able to speed up and strengthen the COVID-19 response in the areas under its jurisdiction),” he added.
The new molecular laboratory is in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
PRC said that the new lab is equipped with two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines and one ribonucleic acid (RNA) extractor capable of conducting 2,000 tests a day, which will serve Maguindanao, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, and Davao City.
Under Gordon’s leadership, PRC was able to establish the molecular laboratories in strategic areas to make it more accessible for the people who want to get tested for COVID-19.
As of Nov. 11, PRC tested a total of 4,870,989.
Of over 281 molecular laboratories in the country, PRC has the biggest output of any organization representing 21 percent of the national testing output.
As part of its COVID-19 response, PRC also is ramping up vaccination efforts to get more people vaccinated as soon as possible.
To date, a total of 393,617 individuals were already vaccinated against COVID-19 in PRC’s “Bakuna Centers” and “Bakuna Buses” deployed nationwide.