By Danny Estacio
LUCENA CITY – Quezon province’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) got a major boost Tuesday, May 19, with the inauguration of a bio-safety laboratory that could test for the presence of the coronavirus in patients at the Lucena United Doctors Hospital and Medical center (LUDHMC) here.
PHOTO VIA DANNY ESTACIO/ MANILA BULLETIN
Led by Quezon Governor Danilo Suarez, the facility was a collaborative project of this city, the Quezon provincial government, and LUDHMC. It was granted a license to operate by the Department of Health (DOH) last May 15.
Also at the inauguration were Quezon Vice-Governor Samuel Nantes, LUDHMC President Dr. Gerald Carmelo Salazar, and Integrated Provincial Hospital Office Head Dr. Grace Santiago. The laboratory was blessed by Lucena Diocese Bishop Mel Rey Uy.
Suarez said that, with Quezon now having its own laboratory intended for testing COVID-19 patients, results could be obtained in just two days, instead of specimens being sent to Manila for testing at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Earlier, Suarez, Alcala, and Salazar signed in a memorandum of agreement for putting up of the laboratory at LUDHMC that could meet required specifications and requirements according to DOH standards.
The laboratory will have an initial capacity of processing 90 specimens per day, Suarez said.
It was the third laboratory to be located in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region after those at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Los Banos, Laguna, and De La Salle University in Cavite.
As of May 19, Quezon has 81 recorded confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, 54 recoveries, eight deaths, and 52 admitted suspects.
PHOTO VIA DANNY ESTACIO/ MANILA BULLETIN
Led by Quezon Governor Danilo Suarez, the facility was a collaborative project of this city, the Quezon provincial government, and LUDHMC. It was granted a license to operate by the Department of Health (DOH) last May 15.
Also at the inauguration were Quezon Vice-Governor Samuel Nantes, LUDHMC President Dr. Gerald Carmelo Salazar, and Integrated Provincial Hospital Office Head Dr. Grace Santiago. The laboratory was blessed by Lucena Diocese Bishop Mel Rey Uy.
Suarez said that, with Quezon now having its own laboratory intended for testing COVID-19 patients, results could be obtained in just two days, instead of specimens being sent to Manila for testing at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Earlier, Suarez, Alcala, and Salazar signed in a memorandum of agreement for putting up of the laboratory at LUDHMC that could meet required specifications and requirements according to DOH standards.
The laboratory will have an initial capacity of processing 90 specimens per day, Suarez said.
It was the third laboratory to be located in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region after those at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Los Banos, Laguna, and De La Salle University in Cavite.
As of May 19, Quezon has 81 recorded confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, 54 recoveries, eight deaths, and 52 admitted suspects.