MOLECULAR LAB. The equipment to be used for Covid-19 testing at the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory 2+, the first facility for coronavirus diagnosis in Quezon province. The laboratory is at the Lucena United Doctor's Hospital and Medical Center located in the capital city. (Photo courtesy of Quezon Public Information Office)
LUCENA CITY – The newly inaugurated Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory 2+ at Lucena United Doctor's Hospital and Medical Center (LUDHMC) in this city already started processing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) swab samples on Tuesday afternoon.
The facility was launched Tuesday morning and its license to operate was released at noontime of the same day by the Department of Health. It was also duly accredited by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and the World Health Organization.
LUDHMC president, Dr. Gerardo Carmelo Salazar said they have accepted 15 swab sample specimens from the Quezon Epidemiology Unit for Covid-19 testing.
For now, he said the laboratory is designated to accept swab samples only from hospitals in Lucena City and the rest of Quezon province.
He added that the facility shall be processing 48-60 swab samples per week until they reach the ideal 90 swab samples per day. They would not accept specimens beyond their initial capacity so as not to have backlog, Salazar said.
The laboratory is jointly funded by the city government and the provincial government which pitched in PHP6 million each to realize the project.
LUDHMC will manage the laboratory with its own six medical technologists who underwent special training and duly accredited by DOH.
The facility will accept swab samples from the city and provincial health units from 9 a.m. until 12 noon, Monday to Friday.
Test results are expected to come out within 24 to 48 hours.
Saturday is devoted to rigid disinfection and sanitation of the laboratory and will be closed on Sundays. (PNA)
