By Genalyn Kabiling  The government is optimistic that the proposed Marikina City testing facility will be added to the country's list of accredited laboratories that can diagnose the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said they hope the Marikina laboratory personnel will pass the proficiency test needed for accreditation of the testing center. "I’m sure Mayor Marcy (Teodoro) got the best possible personnel that he can find for the Marikina lab so we’re all crossing our fingers and we’re hopeful it will be number 18 of the accredited laboratories to add up to our testing capacity," Nograles said in a virtual press conference last Saturday. Nograles said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III recently visited the Marikina testing center and commented it was "one of the best" facilities he has seen. He admitted that Duque's assessment is considered "obviously plus points" for the accreditation of the Marikina testing laboratory. Nograles said the proposed site has so far reached the "advanced stages of accreditation." "Ang last step na lang is 'yung test, 'yung proficiency test ng laboratory at nung kanilang personnel. If they pass the test, then wala tayong problema (The last step is the proficiency test of the laboratory personnel. If they pass the test, then we have no problem)," he said. The Department of Health recently reminded that any proposed testing site must pass biosafety regulations before getting accreditation for operations. In a bid to curb the outbreak of the disease in Marikina, Teodoro earlier wanted to open the testing center even without the approval of the health department. Nograles made clear that the IATF backs the accreditation of more testing facilities to facilitate swift detection, isolation and treatment of patients. He said the government was neither making it hard for testing laboratories to get accreditation nor "playing favorites." "Wala kaming pinahihirapan. Mas gusto nga namin mas maganda na mas maraming mga testing laboratories ang ma-accredit (We're not making it hard for anyone. We would rather the accreditation of more testing laboratories)," he said. The health department recently announced the accreditation of the Chinese General Hospital in Manila as testing center, bringing the total to 17. Among the DOH-accredited sites are Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio, San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, Vicente Sotto Medical Memorial Center in Cebu City, Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, University of the Philippines National Institute of Health in Manila City, Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City, Bicol Public Health Laboratory in Legazpi City, St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City, Victoriano Luna Hospital in Quezon City, The Medical City in Pasig, Makati Medical Center in Makati City, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory in Mandaluyong, St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig and the Philippine Red Cross in Mandaluyong.