Friday, May 1, 2020
BY CARLA P. GOMEZ

Former Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez, Negros Occidental provincial consultant, said yesterday the laboratory for COVID-19 Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City is expected to be operational by May 8.

The equipment will arrive Saturday and we are asking the Department of Health that the medical technicians assigned to the laboratory be trained simultaneously, he said.

The backlog in the release of the Region 6 COVID-19 test results at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) laboratory in Iloilo City has been exacerbated by its recently having been directed to also process specimens from Romblon and Palawan.

Benitez earlier wrote Department of Health 6 regional director, Dr. Marilyn Convocar, expressing his concern about the delay in the release of COVID-19 test results by the WVMC laboratory in Iloilo City.

He has stressed the need for Negros Occidental to have its own laboratory to ensure that COVID-19 test results can be released faster.

Convocar, in response, told Benitez to rest assured that they will continuously improve their processes and constantly provide Negros Occidental with updates on the test results sent by the province and the whole region.

In support to the call to fast tract testing and processing operations at the WVMC laboratory, she said the DOH has provided financial assistance of P3.5 million, human resource augmentation, logistics, protective gear, and enhanced its information system.

As of Tuesday, the bio lab had received 3,868 specimens for testing, 2,983 of which were tested and released, 524 are on process with a balance of 361 specimens, Dr. Stephanie Abello, WVMC Pathologist Department chief, said.

They also recently have been directed to process specimens coming from San Jose, Romblon, and the municipalities of Cuyo, Agutaya and Magsaysay in Palawan, she added.*CPG