Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire
MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) is expecting a quicker turnaround time for the testing of specimens of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients once the BGI Covid-19 laboratory equipment becomes fully operational by the first week of May.
"Kami ngayon ay nakikipag-partner sa mga malalaking kumpanya, sa mga private sector para magkaroon tayo ng huge labs. Itong huge lab na ito na proyekto ng Asian Development Bank [ADB] and other private sectors sa Pilipinas ay ilalagay natin sa (We're now partnering with big companies in the private sector to have huge labs. This huge lab is a project of the ADB and other private sectors in the Philippines as well as place it at the) Jose B. Lingad Hospital," DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Thursday in a virtual press conference.
Once operational, Vergeire said the laboratory in San Fernando City, Pampanga can do between 3,000 and 5,000 tests a day. This would allow laboratories in Metro Manila to perform more tests, she added.
The USD2.5-million equipment was transported by a Philippine Air Force C130 plane from Shenzhen, China on April 21.
The DOH planned to have it fully set up in 10 to 14 days including all processes required in the establishment of a certified testing center for Covid-19. (PNA)
