MAYOR Oscar Moreno said the City Government will purchase its own testing equipment to accommodate more coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tests in Cagayan de Oro City.
Moreno said the city plans to buy a Covid-19 testing equipment to conduct PCR tests (polymerase chain reaction) on Covid-19 patients.
The funds for the purchase will be sourced from the Department of Energy (DOE). He said the DOE special fund is given to local government units which hosts power generation.
“I received a communication from DOE about a special fund that the law sets aside for some LGUs (local government units) that hosts power generation. LGUs have that share. DOE has modified the allocation so that the allocation is for Covid-19 responses. Naghatag ko ug instruction, naa tay share diha atong i-set aside again para sa testing facility. Hopefully naa nay atong testing facility (I gave instruction to set aside our share for acquiring testing facility. Hopefully we will have our own testing facility),” he said.
Moreno said there will be two testing equipment, one from the Department of Health, the other from the City Government, all of which will be placed at the Department of Health (DOH) office in Barangay Carmen.
“The virus is here to stay. While we may have some innovations to get to know the situation more clearly so we can do pre-empt, still the long-term solution is testing even if, in God’s grace we will overcome this crisis, but for as long as there is no vaccine, testing is the long term strategy,” he said.