ILOILO – Next week, another molecular laboratory in the province may start processing specimens for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing.
Yesterday, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) inaugurated the facility at the Regional Logistics and Disaster Management Training Center in New Townsite, Barangay Sablogon, Passi City.
It is expected to process up to 1,000 samples in a day and will also serve the adjacent provinces of Antique, Aklan and Capiz.
The turn-around-time of the test – the length of waiting for the test result to come out – is 24 hours.
PRC chairman Sen. Richard Gordon led the inauguration together with Mayor Stephen Palmares and Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and some local officials.
“Today is history-making in the city of Passi. Thank you very much for giving us the chance and opportunity to serve,” said Palmares.
There are now two test laboratories for COVID-19 in the province.
The first is at the Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan. The P19-million molecular laboratory funded by the provincial government was inaugurated in December last year. It is initially projected to have a capacity of making 200 tests per day./PN
