ILOILO City – This city’s Uswag Molecular Laboratory in Molo district passed the requisite proficiency test conducted by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) before it can operate.
It got a perfect score of 100 percent.
The test procedures performed included Nucleic Acid Extraction, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Mastermix Preparation, Real Time (RT)-PCR, Interpretation of RT-PCR results, and RT-PCR results reporting.
With this, the facility can finally be issued a license to operate, further increasing the city’s testing capacity and significantly speeding up the release of test results.
“COVID-19 testing has been a challenge for Iloilo City. We only have limited testing centers. Having quick results means containing the virus and isolating those who have been infected will be much easier,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The Uswag Molecular Laboratory was inaugurated on Nov. 14.
On Nov. 16 it started processing specimens for COVID-19 testing.
Lab supervisor Chiqui Blancaflor said, however, that pending the arrival of the license to operate, they could not release the official results of the specimen tested.
Treñas said the facility can initially test almost 400 specimens a day and can release the results in one or two days.
“Ang COVID laboratory is not something nga gintukod lang kay nagalagas kami sa iban nga cities and municipalities. The need for the COVID-19 lab arose from fact nga ang gusto namon early detection so that we can threat the ill and ma–proteksyunan ang komunidad. If healthy ang aton komunidad, mas dasig kita makabangon sa COVID-19,” Blancaflor stressed./PN
