Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan and Vice Mayor John Marvin "Yul Servo" Nieto officially inaugurated a new state-of-the-art Public Health Laboratory in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
She emphasized her administration's commitment to improving the health services available to all residents of the city.
In her speech, the mayor expressed her gratitude to the Department of Health (DOH) for the swift approval of the lab’s License to Operate.
She noted that the facility is fully operational and will serve as a tertiary clinical laboratory, a drug testing lab, and a laboratory for drinking water bacteriological analysis, among other services.
The new public health laboratory holds historical significance for the city of Manila, as it traces its roots back to the first laboratory of its kind in the Philippines, which was initially established in 1945 by the American administration.
It was reconstructed in 1949 during the term of then-Mayor Arsenio Lacson.
The modern facility, located on Quiricada Street, will be overseen by Manila Health Department (MHD) Chief Dr. Arnold Pangan and Dr. Malou Pineda-Santos.
She noted that the laboratory’s primary purpose is to promote health among Manila residents by providing crucial medical services, including testing for a variety of diseases and conditions that afflict the city's residents.
The laboratory offers drive-thru services, making healthcare more accessible to those who may have difficulty traveling to the facility.
It will also serve as a hub for research into the causes of various illnesses and as a training center for healthcare professionals.
The laboratory provides essential services such as drug testing, various clinical tests, and quick medical responses based on lab results to ensure residents receive appropriate treatments.
She also shared that the development of the modern facility had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic while expressing deep appreciation for the DOH's support in making the project a reality.
The local chief executive disclosed that with its License to Operate as a tertiary clinical laboratory, a drug testing lab, and a laboratory for drinking water analysis, the facility is already a significant asset to the city’s health infrastructure, offering more specialized tests to support the government’s implementation of universal health care.